From hesitation to impact – Master workplace conversations
Doelstelling
Setting boundaries: saying no without damaging the relationship. We’ll explore the fine line between being too soft and too blunt.
You’ll learn how to:
• Clearly express what you don’t want.
• Handle what happens next after you’ve said “no”.
• Help the other person move from frustration to acceptance.
We’ll look at the difference between:
• Passive, aggressive, manipulative and assertive behaviour. And yes, we’ll tackle body language, because it’s not just what you say – it’s how you say it.
Practical conversation tools:
• The Assertive No. Show you’ve heard the other person, state your own position, and deal with their reaction with empathy.
• The Broken Record Technique. Stay firm and repeat your message if they keep pushing.
• Meta-communication. Name what’s happening if they keep pushing even further.
Addressing difficult behaviour
Imagine this: a colleague keeps being rude to others but feels like they’re “just standing up for themselves”. Or your manager keeps piling on unrealistic demands.
What do you do? Most organisations say they have a culture of open feedback. But let’s be honest – nobody really likes unsolicited feedback. So, people sulk. Or give you the silent treatment. Or even kick off an argument. That’s exactly why most people avoid these conversations altogether. But there are ways to make it easier. When you understand what happens in people’s heads when they feel criticised, you can handle it much better. That’s how you create constructive conversations that bring clarity and progress.
Doelgroep
All employees.
Programma
What You’ll Learn
• How to give feedback without the emotional charge.
• How to deal with defensiveness – a perfectly human response to criticism.
• Step-by-step: A 5 step conversation technique
1. Describe the specific behaviour you’ve noticed – without judgement.
2. Reflect the impact that behaviour has on you or the team.
3. Pull for their ideas – help them come up with the solution, instead of telling them what to do. Bonus: Spotting and avoiding pitfalls
• Jumping to conclusions.
• Overreacting.
• Judging instead of describing.
Ready to build your confidence in tricky conversations?
We’ll give you the tools, language and practice you need to speak up – in a way that people actually hear you,without damaging the relationship,and with real impact.