A senior manager recently attended our Advanced Communication Skills Training (ACST) course to learn how to navigate resistance to change in her healthcare team. She wanted to practice handling a difficult conversation with a colleague.
During her role play, she learned several key lessons:
- Less is more: When providing information, clarity and conciseness are crucial.
- Use silence and pauses: Giving the other person space to think allows the conversation to unfold more effectively.
- Maintain boundaries: Avoid giving the other person undue power to negotiate outcomes that aren’t feasible.
- Express impact: Clearly communicate how the behaviour affects you and the team, and how it makes you feel.
A few weeks after the course, during our follow-up session to celebrate successes, she shared how she had applied these strategies both at home and at work:
- At home, she used the “anger strategy” from a role play, with her child, achieving amazing results. She learned what was really wrong with her and what was motivating this behaviour (there is always a reason).
- At work, she applied the difficult colleague conversation strategy. The conversation lasted only a few minutes, yet the colleague was genuinely surprised to realise the negative impact their behaviour had on others. The outcome was highly effective and left the manager feeling confident and empowered.
This case highlights how clear communication, concise messaging, and strategic use of silence can quickly transform challenging interactions, both professionally and personally.
“The strategies I learned helped me have a difficult conversation at work in just a few minutes, and the impact on both understanding and relationships was remarkable.”
Before the course:
- Struggled to have difficult conversations with resistant colleagues
- Tended to provide too much information or allowed others to dominate the discussion
- Felt unsure how to express the impact of behaviour clearly
- Conversations could be prolonged and less effective
After the course:
- Communicates clearly and concisely, giving the other person space to reflect
- Uses silence and pauses strategically to manage conversation flow
- Maintains boundaries and avoids giving undue power to the other person
- Expresses impact of behaviour effectively, achieving swift, meaningful outcomes
- Applies strategies successfully in both professional and personal settings
Ready to Transform Your Communication Skills?
If you would like to find out about our courses please contact us to discuss your needs. Our training might be able to help your team communicate more effectively, reduce stress, and improve outcomes.
