Difficult Conversations – Beyond the Script
Difficult conversations are an unavoidable part of working life.
Whether it’s giving feedback, addressing performance, challenging behaviour, managing expectations or simply saying something that you know the other person may not want to hear, knowing what to say is often only half the challenge.
This interactive workshop goes beyond scripts and difficult-conversation formulas. It explores what makes conversations feel difficult, what happens to us when the stakes rise, and how understanding the dynamics at play can help us respond more effectively.
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Through discussion, practical exercises and realistic scenarios, attendees will learn how to prepare for difficult conversations without over-scripting them, communicate with greater clarity and confidence, and handle the emotions, reactions and unexpected turns that happen in real conversations.
The aim isn’t to make difficult conversations comfortable. It’s to make them more manageable.
Workshop Agenda:
- It’s rarely just the words. What makes conversations difficult?
- The conversation starts before you speak. Stories, assumptions, emotion and perspective.
- Prepare the thinking, not the script. Clarity, purpose, facts, curiosity and AI as a thinking partner.
- When the conversation stops following the script: Emotion, disagreement, defensiveness and unexpected turns.
- You don’t always get time to prepareβ¨Handling difficult moments in real time.
- Have the conversation while it’s still smallβ¨Early intervention, micro-feedback and preventing escalation.
What you’ll take away:
- A better understanding of why certain conversations feel difficult - and how that should influence your approach.
- A practical framework for preparing for a difficult conversation without trying to script every word.
- Techniques for opening conversations clearly, directly and constructively.
- Tools for listening, questioning and understanding what may be happening beneath the surface.
- Practical ways to respond when someone becomes emotional, defensive, angry, silent or simply disagrees.
- Strategies for having smaller conversations earlier, before issues become bigger and harder to resolve.
Who should attend:
- People managers who need to give feedback, address behaviour or tackle performance issues.
- New or aspiring managers who want to build confidence before difficult conversations become part of everyday management
- Project Managers, Producers and Resource Managers who need to challenge, influence and manage expectations.
- Anyone who tends to rehearse difficult conversations in their head, imagine the worst-case response, or lose confidence before the conversation has even begun.
Next open workshop/s run online:
Date: TBC
Length: Half Day 9.30 - 1pm
Price: £395 pp
In-house workshop, run for your team and aligned to your challenges and objectives:
Dates: By arrangement
Price: £1,950 for up to 10 people
Trainer:
TBC.
We also offer bespoke training tailored to your organisation’s objectives and requirements, with pricing provided on request based on scope and needs.
NEXT SCHEDULED DATES
Open Workshop:
TBC
In-house Workshop
We run this workshop by request, in-house for clients and brands who have a team to train.
If you would like to discuss booking this course for your team, or if you have any questions about our wider range of training courses, give Jo a call on
+44 207 323 1966
or complete the form below and we’ll get straight back to you.
The Industry School Contact Form
Open versus In-house Workshops
Open:
Our Open Workshop format is one of the most powerful aspects of our training offer. With a maximum of 12 participants, these live online sessions create a focused, friendly environment where you can connect with peers from a mix of agencies and brands. It’s a rare and valuable chance to step outside your own team and talk to people in similar roles—whether that’s strategy, client services, creative, or digital—and realise you're not alone in the challenges you face.
The beauty of the format lies in the shared experience. You’ll hear how others tackle the same dilemmas you're up against, from tricky client relationships to evolving briefs or team dynamics. Ideas are sparked, confidence grows, and by the end, you’ll leave not just with expert knowledge from our trainers, but with a sense of connection to a wider creative community facing the same pressures and opportunities as you.
In-house:
Our In-house Workshops format is ideal for brands and agencies looking to upskill larger teams with training that's completely aligned to their world. Delivered either in person or online, these sessions are tailored to your business—your goals, your challenges, your clients. It means the content lands deeper, feels more relevant, and drives immediate impact.
Running a workshop in-house also creates a unique space for your team to learn together, tackle shared issues, and build confidence as a group. Whether you're looking to sharpen creative thinking, improve briefing, or strengthen client relationships, the sessions become a springboard for bigger conversations and lasting change. Plus, with the flexibility to choose the date, format and location, this is training designed entirely around you.
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THE INDUSTRY SCHOOL
The Industry School is a member of CPD and our core workshops are CPD certified (Continuing Professional Development) and all attendees will receive a certificate that is widely recognised and valued in the UK and Europe. It demonstrates a professional's commitment to ongoing learning and growth.
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Resource Management
Finance Planning
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