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Become an expert in difficult conversations

Results of Courageous Conversations Training:

70% of employees avoid difficult conversations.
53% of employees ignore “toxic” situations
80% say they have had no formal training in difficult conversations.

Communication and having conversations are critical to all healthy relationship in our lives. In the workplace it is important that these conversations are successful for both parties. In a learning culture they are vital to get to know your colleagues, be fully informed of what’s expected of us and able to work to the best of our ability. However, not all conversations are ‘easy’ or welcomed. This is never truer when it comes to the difficult or courageous conversations.

Common hurdles to approaching difficult conversations, do these sound familiar to you?

Not being able to predict their response
Not knowing how to get the point across clearly and fairly
Being in a confrontational situation – 29%
Getting upset or emotional – 29%
The other person getting upset or emotional – 21%

So, preparation, planning and developing a structure to the conversation is vital. Using a variety of interactive drama-based methods, we enable participants to practise the skills involved in holding a difficult conversation. This coupled with actively listening, framing questions, demonstrating empathy, and utilising communication techniques, helps build confidence and competence. This enables participants to navigate the best approach to difficult conversations by trialling their learning in a safe and supportive environment.

The effectiveness of drama-based training lies in the ability of making it bespoke which the CIPD recommends using as a training tactic. When training is bespoken to the individual and organisation it reflects their environment and makes the scenario observed instantly relatable and starts to negate the negative preconception and attitudes of “the training isn’t targeted at me so I won’t fully participate”. It creates an immersive experience, capturing the interest of participants instantly. The collaboration of participants allows them to become emotionally invested, getting involved and putting their skills into practice. Research indicates there is an 86% increase in learner engagement when people work together and 91% of employees who learn together are more successful.

A study was conducted to find out the lasting impact of experiential training compared to other learning approaches. The results discover:

Participants retained 10% of the information from being told;
Participants retained 32% of the information from being told and shown;
Participants retained 65% of the information from being told, shown and experiencing it.

Immersive Research

Consult and involve staff/stakeholders/Board members
Familiarisation of your history/culture/aspirations/policies
Establish current culture and reality
Identify what you want/need to achieve

Consultancy meeting for the purpose of research and development

Deliver

Engaging, interactive and inclusive training
Challenging in a psychologically safe environment
Share

Collaboration in a psychologically safe environment

Devise

Feedback research findings to client
Design powerful and engaging programmes
Authentic script, real characters and scenarios
Intensive rehearsal and briefing of delivery teams

Embed Change

Develop sustainability strategies
Focus on action centred results
Building communication around feedback
Celebrate and embed

Reflecting the direction from consultancy and embedding change

Programme Components

Team Building: The Training solution involved the management team, with managers being individually and collectively coached on management and communication styles. The Management workshop was facilitator led and explored the results from a management exercise they had all completed. This enabled managers to acknowledge each other’s similarities and differences and devise their own individual, team, and department action plans.

Read the full case study

Following the training sessions, a feedback and evaluation report is compiled to ensure the actions highlighted are embedded and the learning is sustained. The report is reflective of the lived experience and perspective of the participants and includes:

Issues, actions and concerns arising

Reoccurring themes

Consultative results and areas to be addressed

Voting results

Recommendations and actions

Participant feedback

Our reports are anonymous and compiled around individual, team, manager and organisation actions

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“You will not be unsurprised to hear that one of the proudest I’ve taken from my 34 years of service is the work you and your incredible team have done to change behaviour and culture in the army. It is a remarkable achievement, and you should be seriously proud of what you’ve done”.

Col Lindsay MacDuff

“The training is expertly run, interactive and really makes people think. Being able to step into someone else’s shoes and see the world from their perspective was enlightening and revealing. In terms of content, it was well-researched, realistic and recognisable. Everyone should have the chance to participate in this one – it is brilliant.”

Chief Superintendent Metropolitan Police Service