Managing Difficult Conversations - Melbourne

Managing Difficult Conversations - Melbourne

You know that feeling when you see someone's name pop up on your calendar and your stomach drops a little? We've all been there. Whether it's addressing poor performance, dealing with workplace conflict, or having to deliver bad news, difficult conversations are part of working life but nobody teaches you how to handle them well.

I've been training managers for over fifteen years and I can tell you that avoiding these conversations doesn't make them go away. It just makes them worse. That awkward tension in team meetings, the productivity drop when people aren't getting along, the stress of knowing you need to say something but not knowing how to start. Sound familiar?

Here's the thing though - difficult conversations don't have to be disasters waiting to happen. With the right approach, they can actually strengthen relationships and solve problems rather than create new ones. I've seen managers transform from dreading these discussions to feeling confident about tackling issues head-on.

This workshop isn't about learning scripts or memorising corporate speak. It's about developing genuine skills that work in real situations with real people. You'll practice with scenarios that mirror what you're actually dealing with - the team member who's always negative, the colleague who takes credit for your work, or having to tell someone their role is changing.

We cover the psychology behind why these conversations feel so hard, practical techniques for staying calm under pressure, and specific language that helps people hear your message without getting defensive. You'll also learn how to read the room, when to push forward and when to take a break, and how to follow up afterwards to make sure the conversation actually achieves something.

What You'll Learn

You'll discover how to prepare for difficult conversations so you feel confident rather than anxious walking into them. We'll work on starting these discussions without making people feel attacked or cornered, which is usually where things go wrong. You'll practice the art of active listening so people feel heard even when you're delivering tough messages.

We'll explore techniques for staying emotionally regulated when conversations get heated, because your calm energy sets the tone for everything else. You'll learn specific phrases that defuse tension and language patterns that help people stay open to feedback. Plus, we'll cover how to wrap up these conversations with clear next steps so everyone knows what happens now.

The workshop includes role-playing exercises based on common workplace scenarios, tools for managing your own stress before and during difficult conversations, and strategies for dealing with different personality types and communication styles.

The Bottom Line

By the end of this session, you'll have a practical toolkit for handling workplace conversations that used to keep you up at night. You won't suddenly love having difficult discussions, but you'll feel equipped to have them professionally and effectively. Most importantly, you'll stop avoiding issues until they become bigger problems, which means less stress for you and better outcomes for your team.

The skills you learn here work whether you're talking to your boss, a peer, or someone who reports to you. They're also surprisingly useful for dealing with difficult behaviours in other areas of life, though we'll focus on workplace applications during the training.