How to have successful courageous conversations at work

Name: How to have successful courageous conversations at work
Rating: 4.7 (9 reviews)

How to hold a performance correcting conversation in a positive way

Created bySarah Lewis

Last updated 7/2022

English

What you'll learn

How to prepare for a courageous conversation
How to hold a courageous conversation with someone who made a relational or communication mistake
How to hold a courageous conversation with someone who has made a procedural mistake
How to identify the strengths you bring to the courageous conversation
How to be clear on your mandate for the courageous conversation
A range of tactics for opening a courageous conversation
Three key positive psychology principles that support this approach to a courageous conversation
How to follow up on a courageous conversation
How to use a four-part model to support careful planning for a courageous conversation

Course content

7 sections • 9 lectures • 31m total length

Introduction to How to have Courageous Conversations the Positive Way2:58
This introductory lecture will
Introduce the lecturer and her experience in this area
Introduce the underpinning philosophy of the positive approach
Explain why this is an important topic
Explain the problems with the common ambition to 'give critical feedback'
Explain how critical feedback can be reframed as corrective and addressed through a courageous conversation
Introduce the course content
Outline the dual ambitions of the courageous conversation: to address the behavioural challenge, and to maintain or enhance the relationship
You will complete this lecture
Reassured of the course leaders expert credentials in this area
Understanding what the course has to offer and that it is based on an underlying philosophy of strengths-based, positive psychology
Knowing about the problems with critical feedback as commonly understood
Knowing about of two different types of courageous conversation you might need to hold
Knowing the two key ambitions of a courageous conversation

Research basis for this approach to Courageous Conversations6:06
This lecture introduces three key areas of positive psychology that underpin the Positive approach to Courageous Conversations presented in this training workshop
High Quality Connections
Character Strengths
Positive Emotional States
For each of these it explains
What they are
Why they are important in the context of a courageous conversation
How to achieve them
By the end of the lecture you will
Clearly understand high quality connections, character strengths and positive emotional states
Be able to name the researchers involved in these areas, facilitating your own further research
Be able to explain why they are important to positive courageous conversations
Be able to explain what these psychological terms mean in more everyday language
Understand why they are important to creating a context within which to have a courageous conversation

Before you have a Courageous Conversation2:53
This lecture helps to create readiness to have a Courageous Conversation, emphasising the need to
Have your emotions under control
Manage any anxiety produced by the thought of having the conversation
Visualising what a successful conversation will look like, particularly in terms of outcome
Remember that the challenge is to balance to the twin needs of keeping communication open and getting the point of the conversation across
Remember that changing behaviour is a process not just an event
By the end of this lecture you will be able to
Better manage the timing of a courageous conversation so it is not jeopardised by your own strength of feeling
Manage your own anxiety about holding a courageous conversation
Visualise a successful outcome to the courageous conversation
Hold the dual purpose of a courageous conversation in mind
Appreciate that a courageous conversation is a process not just an event

Preparing for the Courageous Conversation4:49
This lecture is focused on
Helping you identify your strengths and resources that will help you have the courageous conversation
Helping you understand the Courageous Conversation Preparation Diamond
Help you think about whether or not to give notice of the conversation
By the end of the lecture you will be able to
Identify your own strengths and resource using a specific exercise
Prepare for a Courageous Conversation using the Courageous Conversation Preparation Diamond
Decide whether to give extensive or short notice of their desire to have the courageous conversation

Plan how to open the the Courageous Conversation Positively and in Context2:58
This lecture helps you plan how to open the courageous conversation. The opening of any conversation is important as it creates the setting conditions for the rest of the encounter. A good start is likely to lead to a good session.
By the end of the lecture, you will be able to
Model honesty and integrity through appropriate self disclosure
Create confidence in a good outcome by sharing hopes and objectives for the conversation
Give reassurance that this will be a valuable conversation
Encourage your colleague to give their version of the events
Listen appreciatively

Introducing two types of Courageous Conversation1:37
This lecture introduces you to two different types of courageous conversations
Those where someone has done something wrong, or example where they have gone against policy or procedure. In other words, situations where there is a right way to do something and it hasn't been followed. This is essentially a corrective situation, focussed on ensuring things are done correctly next time.
Then there are those situations where there has been an unfortunate outcome to someone's behaviour. What's needed here is more of a supportive learning conversation, where the focus is on learning from the experience and working out how to put the situation right.
It emphasises the value of good preparation for both types of conversation
And the need to be able to distinguish between them

By the end of the lecture, you will be able to
Distinguish two different types of courageous conversation
Recognise that the work done preparing for a courageous conversation is valuable to both situations
Having the Courageous Conversation when rules just haven't been followed3:06
This lecture describes how to have a courageous conversation when someone has clearly done something wrong, for example they have made a compliance mistake.
You will learn
How the short term gain can over-ride awareness of the long term risk
How in the short term the gain in convenience or time is rewarding, immediate and certain, while the possible longer term consequence is adverse, uncertain and distant
How to bring these long-term consequences into view
How to seek agreement on the general principle that underpins the requirement, that of keeping people or information safe, ensuring a good record is created for future reference for instance
How to bring the values into clear view, and to seek agreement on their importance
How to help the person appreciate the possible adverse consequences of what they did
How to look forward to future situations that might arise and to devise different ways to solve the challenge that led them to be non-compliant in the first place
How, throughout, you need to be clear on what they did wrong, and what they need to do to put things right now and in the future
Having the Courageous Conversation for Feedback and Learning2:55
This lecture describes how to have a courageous conversation when something has gone wrong due to poor judgement rather than a lack of compliance with a clear procedure.
During the lecture you will learn how
To share what happened using behavioural rather than emotive descriptors
To explain the consequences from your perspective
To gain their perspective on why they did what they did while looking for good intentions gone awry and by asking questions
To co-create a shared story of what happened, and a statement of the current situation
To jointly explore what can be done, looking forward, to rectify the situation
To explore the learning from the situation

Following up the Courageous Conversation4:00
This final lecture reflects on the experience of courageous conversations and looks at what happens after the courageous conversation
The students are reassured that, while these conversation can be emotionally uncomfortable, they are likely to be highly valuable.
They are reminded that it is important to always keep the dual purpose of these conversations in mind
Three possible outcomes are identified and guidance given on next steps in each situation
The courageous conversation is tied back in to the performance management process
Ten top tips that sum up the course, are shared
By the end of this lecture the student should be able to
Reflect on their courageous conversation, a resource is supplied to assist with this
Identify which of three likely outcomes they achieved
Know what to do next in the case of all three
Have ten top tips to support them in the future

Requirements

No prior experience is necessary

Description

This course will help you prepare and conduct difficult conversations with your staff, or possibly even your boss! The course is distilled from the experience of the presenter, Sarah Lewis, in helping and training leaders and managers in many different situations plan and prepare for such conversations. It offers a comprehensive framework for preparing for a courageous conversation through to conducting the conversation and how to follow them up. It explains how, by attending to both the relational aspects of the conversation, as well as the behaviour at hand, you can substantially increase the likelihood of having a successful and productive meeting.

The course looks at two sub-categories of courageous conversation in more detail, that of correcting procedural errors, and that of repairing damage caused by poor communication or poor relationships. Beyond that, the course offers useful ways of thinking about preparing for any difficult conversation.

The course recognises that the very thought of having a courageous conversation with someone can raise anxiety levels, and that such anxiety is not helpful to the conversation. To help with this challenge, the course spends some time helping you work through exercises that will help lower your anxiety and create a more useful mental state from which to approach the conversation.

The pathway that is presented, from preparation to post meeting follow up, is supported by a preparation model and three specific areas of positive psychology research. You should come away from the course feeling that you have a route map for preparing and conducting a courageous conversation that is supported by both research and practical experience. You should also feel that you now have the confidence to enter your next courageous conversation equipped to create the best opportunity for a successful outcome.

Who this course is for:

This course is appropriate for leaders and managers in any industry or sector who need to offer difficult performance development guidance to their staff. It explains a way of conducting courageous conversations drawn from the presenter’s experience in this area, and on key principles from positive psychology research. It offers full guidance on identifying the nature of the mistake that needs addressing through to preparing for the conversation, holding the conversation, and following it up. The course takes the time to help participants understand how the conversation can be framed as being a helpful, rather than punitive, intervention and to be clear on how holding this conversation fits with their values. In this way the course acts to lessen the common anxiety experienced when thinking about holding such a conversation and offers a clear framework for the conversation itself.

How to have successful courageous conversations at work

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction to Courageous Conversations1 lecture • 3min

Research basis for the approach to Courageous Conversations1 lecture • 6min

Before you have a Courageous Conversation1 lecture • 3min

Preparing for the Courageous Conversation1 lecture • 5min

Plan how to open the Courageous Conversation positively and in context1 lecture • 3min

Having the Courageous Conversation3 lectures • 8min

Section 7 Following up the Courageous Conversation1 lecture • 4min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: