Handling difficult conversations with calm confidence
Always handy to have a friendly dog to practice with!
Always handy to have a friendly dog to practice with!
Do you regularly lose sleep as you ruminate over conversations that have happened? Maybe you wish you said different things, or you're anxious about what other people might be thinking.
Would you like to go into your next difficult conversation more confidently?
I was a headteacher for 10 years, and have a total of 17 years of school leadership experience, so I know the territory. Difficult conversations are something I've been grappling with for years. They are also a regular topic of conversation in coaching sessions with leaders.
I found it difficult to navigate conflict as a leader, not wanting to upset people, but knowing there were things I needed to say and messages I needed to give.
I've pulled together all the things that I've found to be most important and put them into a mini-course that's really accessible.
This course consists of a series of short videos, backed up by PDFs, through which you can develop your leadership skills around giving feedback and receiving complaints. As you learn more about emotional agility and being values-led, you'll find yourself going into conversations with a sense of calm confidence. You'll develop more trusting and productive relationships with staff and stakeholders.
The resources include details of my 4-step plan for preparing for a difficult conversation - focusing on the facts, being led by your values, preparing to be fully present and considering possible reactions. I also give you strategies that you can use to deal with difficult conversations that you can't plan for, like someone coming to you with a complaint.