Crisis Management Skills Training

Foundation Presentation Skills Training

May 5, 2025

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TRAINING

Difficult conversations training for managers and leaders

Equip your teams with the skills, techniques, and confidence needed to lead meetings that get results

The Training

OVERVIEW

Support your Managers to excel at difficult conversations

In every organisation, difficult conversations are inevitable – whether it’s providing constructive feedback, addressing performance issues, or managing conflict.

Being able to navigate these challenging situations with compassion and clarity is a critical skill for building trust, maintaining morale, and achieving positive outcomes.

COVERED

Course Content: Handling Difficult Conversations

Participants in our Difficult Conversations Training for Managers course will gain the practical tools to:

Bring a compassionate, collaborative mindset to every challenging conversation.
Prepare for and initiate difficult conversations with confidence.
Use active listening to reduce tension and build understanding.
Deliver clear, constructive feedback without damaging relationships.
Manage emotions and stay composed under pressure.
Find common ground and achieve positive outcomes, even in challenging situations.
Build resilience and emotional intelligence in high-stakes conversations.

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Discuss your training need further

EXPERTS

Who delivers the Handling Difficult Conversations training at Further?

Faye is a hugely experienced learning and development professional with an incredible talent for compassionate leadership and communication.

Her experience and focus makes Faye the perfect person to lead and deliver our 1-2-1 communications training.

Meet the Further Experts

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about difficult conversations training from Further.

1What kinds of difficult conversations does this training cover?

Our training covers the full spectrum of challenging workplace conversations including performance and conduct discussions, redundancy and restructure conversations, feedback and disagreement, managing up, and interpersonal conflict. We tailor the scenarios to the situations your managers actually face.

2My managers know they should be having these conversations but they just are not. Will training actually change that?

This is the most important question and the honest answer is: well-designed training absolutely can. Avoidance almost always comes from a lack of confidence, not a lack of understanding. Our approach builds the skills, the frameworks and crucially the practical experience that allows managers to approach difficult conversations with confidence rather than dread.

3How do you balance compassion with the need to be direct?

This is at the heart of everything we teach. The most effective difficult conversations are both honest and compassionate and those two things are not in conflict. Our training helps managers find the language, the mindset and the structure to deliver clear messages in a way that preserves relationships and achieves positive outcomes.

4Can this training be combined with coaching for individual managers?

Yes. For managers facing a particularly challenging situation, we can provide one-to-one coaching alongside or following the group training. This gives individuals the space to work through their specific circumstances with expert support.

5How do you measure whether the training has actually worked?

We measure confidence, understanding and real-world application before and after the training, and again in the months that follow. You will receive a clear report showing progress and impact . This is essential evidence for demonstrating ROI to your senior leadership.

WHY?

Why should Managers be good at handling difficult conversations?

Managers that can bravely lead difficult conversations in a compassionate and collaborative way are much more able to:

Resolve conflicts before they escalate.
Build stronger, more trusting relationships.
Reduce workplace stress and improve morale.
Enhance team performance and collaboration.
Strengthen your organisation’s culture of open communication.

THE CHALLENGE

How do I know if my managers need difficult conversations training?

If your managers or team leaders are experiencing any of the following challenges, it might be time to invest in handling difficult conversations training:

Avoiding or delaying tough conversations, leading to unresolved issues.
Struggling to give or receive constructive feedback.
Experiencing conflicts that undermine team morale or performance.
Lacking confidence in managing high-stakes conversations.
Receiving feedback that communication lacks directness or clarity.

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GOING FURTHER

What additional support will your people receive?

Following the training, all participants will receive follow-up notes and feedback, a personal online coaching session and access to our full library of communication skills resources.

This additional support is all focused on ensuring that the new skills that your team discover during the training are successfully applied in practice within their roles.

Discover all of the support on offer

RESULTS

How is the success of the training measured?

We measure the confidence and competence of all learners before, during and after the training session.

The results are recorded, analysed and presented to you in an easy-to-read report.

Our goal is to ensure that all of the training that we deliver is as effective as possible and that you can clearly demonstrate the impact that your learning and development budget has achieved.

Discover more about measurement