flexion

Difficult conversations are one of the most avoided — and most important — parts of management.

Whether it’s addressing behaviour, giving honest feedback, tackling sensitive personal issues, or pushing back on unrealistic demands, avoiding these conversations rarely makes things better. In fact, silence often turns small issues into bigger problems and quietly erodes trust, morale, and standards.

This module helps you face difficult conversations with clarity, confidence, and humanity. You’ll understand why these conversations matter, how to prepare and structure them well, how to manage your own discomfort and emotions, and how to handle a wide range of real-world scenarios managers commonly struggle with.

What you’ll gain

By the end of this module, you’ll be able to:

• Understand why avoiding difficult conversations creates bigger problems over time
• Reframe “difficult” conversations as necessary leadership moments, not failures
• Prepare for tough conversations by managing your own mindset, emotions, and triggers
• Use clear, practical frameworks to structure conversations calmly and fairly
• Stay grounded and professional when emotions arise — including defensiveness, anger, or tears
• Address sensitive issues with confidence, respect, and dignity
• Handle common real-world scenarios, from behaviour issues and conflict to wellbeing concerns
• Build credibility and trust by having conversations others avoid — clearly and consistently