The Discomfort Zone: Turning Difficult Conversations into Positive Results

Workshop

Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of management. Whether it's about a failing project, performance issues, neutralizing bickering and toxic team members, or a change initiative that won't be well received - there will come a time when you will need to initiate a tough conversation.

Leaders often avoid difficult conversations because they often trigger an emotional response. Its inevitable people will show anger or shut down. There might be embarrassment, defensiveness, frustration, stress, and possibly tears. Most leaders have not been taught to calmly respond to emotional reactions. They know there is a real cost of failure, so they rationalize their avoidance until the problem escalates.

Have you ever told yourself that talking about the problem will make it worse? Or you can’t risk making someone feel badly? There are many myths of comfort and convenience that keep leaders from having difficult conversations even though the outcome could lead to growth and success.

The longer you wait to have these important conversations, the more it will affect your relationship with the person, the workplace environment, and your overall success as a leader.

This workshop will give you effective tactics for holding difficult conversations, including how you manage the emotions that arise. You will learn how to work within the Discomfort Zone and how to use moments of discomfort to create breakthroughs in thinking.

Stop avoiding difficult conversations. Attend this workshop to dramatically improve your conversations and overall outcomes.

Objectives:

• Mentally prepare for an uncomfortable conversation.
• Start performance conversations with an engaging statement.
• Use a coaching approach to shift how someone thinks about a situation.
•  Recognize blocks and blind spots and then clear the path for an action plan.
•  Practice a 4-step process for staying calm and confident.

Participants will leave with a toolbox of techniques to immediately begin seeing positive changes in their difficult conversations.

I always find your sessions motivate me to make a big step forward. I can clearly see the value in allocating more time in coaching and giving feedback to my team. Every day as I feel I am getting stronger in choosing the right words and forming the right questions, and then understanding their answers at a much deeper level. The results are impressive. Thank you again.. I look forward to the next session with you. - Vassilis Karonis, Cluster Manager at Seago Line

Watch a Video on When and Why to Use a Discomfort Zone Approach in Your Conversations...

 

Watch more videos that explain key concepts in the class on this page.