An Introduction to Difficult Conversations in Education

Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of leadership, but they don’t have to be avoided or feared. This course explores what makes them challenging and why they are vital for building trust, finding solutions and driving positive change. You’ll reflect on your own approach using Boyatzis’ theory of Self-Directed Learning, before learning how to plan and prepare for conversations that create the conditions for success. Finally, you’ll build a practical toolkit of strategies and techniques to handle both low-stakes and high-stakes situations with confidence. By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped with the skills to lead purposeful, constructive and solution-focused conversations.

This module focuses on what makes difficult conversations so hard and why we need to have them. It unpacks some of the reasons why leaders find them so difficult and why we sometimes try to avoid having conversations. It also challenges us to reflect on whether conflict is always a bad thing or whether, at times, it can be positive and help us to move forwards and find solutions. In this session, you will use Boyatzis’ theory of Self-Directed Learning to reflect on how you would like to lead difficult conversations in relation to how you currently lead them, identifying some clear actions for future development.

We know that planning and preparation are important in many aspects of our lives, and having difficult conversations is no different. In this module, you will learn how to plan and prepare for difficult conversations so that you create the condition for success. From dealing with the logistics of difficult conversations to planning a win/win approach, this session will equip you with a clear understanding of how to lay the foundations for purposeful and productive difficult conversations.

What does a successful difficult conversation look like? This module tackles the issue head-on and provides practical strategies and approaches for dealing with low-stakes and high-stakes conversations. It translates theory into practice and provides the perfect opportunity to script and practise different approaches to difficult conversations in a safe space.

An Introduction to Difficult Conversations in Education

What you'll learn

Course content

Module One: What Makes Difficult Conversations So Hard and Why Do We Need To Have Them?

Module Two: Planning and Preparing for Difficult Conversations

Module Three: Building a Toolkit of Practical Strategies and Approaches to Having Difficult Conversations