A two-hour asynchronous course for leaders and teams
Preparing for Hard Conversations
Support for planning and initiating the toughest conversations
Hard conversations are part of every workplace—whether it’s addressing conflict, giving tough feedback, setting boundaries, or naming harm. For many, these moments are emotionally charged and deeply uncomfortable. When approached without preparation, they can leave people feeling misunderstood, unheard, or even unsafe. Fear of confrontation is often rooted in past experiences where safety, power, or dignity were compromised.
This course helps build the confidence and emotional readiness to enter hard conversations with clarity, care, and integrity. Participants learn practical strategies to maintain calm, clarify purpose, and prepare for a range of outcomes—all while staying grounded in empathy for ourselves and others.
With real-life examples, downloadable tools, and space for reflection, this course equips participants to navigate difficult conversations without causing harm or avoiding what matters most. Ideal for anyone ready to move from reactive to responsive in the moments that matter most.
Learning Objectives:
- What makes for a hard conversation
- The psychology of why we dread these conversations
- Understanding our communication style—and how to work with people whose style differs from our own
Take-Away Strategies & Tools:
- How to develop skills of empathy and active listening
- How to set up the physical space for a hard conversation
- Language choices that lead to a more productive discussion
- Strategies to make sure "we're good" with the other person after a difficult conversation
Additional Information:
- This asynchronous course has been developed using universal design for learning principles - it is a mix of text, video, engagement opportunities, and knowledge checks
- Length is approximately two hours
- Course will be delivered as an embed link, or an xAPI or SCORM file
- Preview access is available upon request