Course description

Every manager has a conversation they keep putting off: the feedback that isn't landing, the colleague who keeps arriving late, two people who've stopped speaking, or news nobody wants to hear. Left alone, these problems tend to grow. This course shows you, step by step and in plain words, how to prepare, what to say first, how to stay calm and listen, and how to agree what happens next, so hard conversations become fair, clear and much less daunting.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow a contact centre team leader through six months of real-feeling conversations: feedback to her own manager, an informal improvement plan, a timekeeping problem with a caring cause, a conflict between two advisers, the end of overtime and an unsuccessful promotion. Every section has a worksheet, answers, a cheat sheet and ready-made plans and templates, with example words you can adapt.

What you'll learn

• Preparing: getting your facts straight, knowing your purpose, seeing their side and planning a clear opening.
• In the room: opening clearly, listening, asking good questions, staying calm and handling tears, anger or silence.
• Feedback: specific feedback that changes behaviour, feedback to your manager and peers, and receiving feedback yourself.
• Performance and sensitive issues: informal improvement plans, timekeeping, health and adjustments, personal topics, wellbeing and complaints.
• Conflict: talking to each person, bringing them together, and knowing when it's bullying or harassment rather than conflict.
• Bad news: giving it clearly and kindly, saying no, change messages and unsuccessful applications.
• Afterwards: fair notes, follow-up, repairing a conversation that went wrong and looking after yourself.

Who it's for

UK managers, team leaders and supervisors in any sector, whether you're new to managing or have done it for years. It ends with a final project: planning, practising and reviewing a real conversation of your own. The course gives general guidance, not legal advice, and shows you when to involve HR and Acas.

What will I learn?

• Prepare for a difficult conversation with facts, a clear purpose and a short opening
• Open clearly, listen well and stay calm when emotions run high
• Give specific feedback that changes behaviour, including to your own manager
• Hold fair performance conversations and agree an informal improvement plan
• Handle timekeeping, health, personal topics and complaints sensitively
• Talk to people in conflict separately and bring them together to agree a way forward
• Deliver bad news and say no clearly and kindly
• Write fair notes, follow through and know when to involve HR

Frequently asked questions