3. Courageous Conversations Series

Giving and Receiving Feedback

Two men in business suits having a discussion in a conference room with gray chairs and a glass of water on the table.

3.1 Courageous Conversations

Avoiding a tough conversation doesn’t make the problem go away—it just makes it harder to fix. This workshop gives you the courage and confidence to speak up, starting your courageous journey towards workplace wellbeing, strengthened relationships, and creating a healthier workplace for everyone.

  • Choose to speak up, even when it feels uncomfortable.

    • Recognize when a conversation is needed to address issues early and constructively

    • Name and navigate the fears that cause avoidance

    • Prepare for and engage in tough conversations with empathy and clarity

    • Build team trust by modelling respectful truth-telling

    • What makes a conversation “courageous,” and why are they essential for my wellbeing at work?

    • Which situations call for me to step into a courageous conversation instead of avoiding it?

    • What psychological barriers hold me back—and how can I move past them?

Two women having a conversation at a table in an office, with a large window behind them.

3.2 Deep Listening

Most of us think we’re better listeners than we actually are. This workshop challenges participants to listen more deeply—helping leaders build the kind of presence that makes people feel truly heard, understood, and supported, ultimately leading to stronger team performance.

  • Listen to understand—not just to respond.

    • Identify your personal listening barriers and shift into deeper presence by being aware of your listening barriers and minimizing

    • Use active listening to strengthen coaching, check-ins, and feedback conversations

    • Recognize emotional and contextual cues by listening at multiple levels

    • Build connection and reduce rework by creating space for clarity and reflection

    • What barriers get in the way of listening to others?

    • Why is listening so essential in everyday conversations?

    • How can I practice listening more deeply?

A group of four people having a meeting or discussion around a table in a bright room with large windows.

3.3 Giving and Receiving Feedback

Every feedback conversation is a chance to build trust or break it—this workshop helps you choose the first. This workshop takes the awkwardness out of giving and receiving feedback by equipping you with the words and techniques to make feedback constructive and reinforcing.

  • Make feedback a normal two-way part of everyday work.

    • Identify and avoid common pitfalls that make feedback unhelpful or harmful

    • Ask for feedback in ways that invite honesty and build trust

    • Deliver feedback with clarity, care, and a focus on growth

    • Use simple structures to guide feedback conversations from start to finish

    • Why can feedback miss the mark, and why is it so crucial?

    • How can I seek and receive feedback better?

    • What is the most effective way to give feedback?

    • How can I initiate, navigate, and conclude feedback conversations?

Man smiling and giving a thumbs up while looking at a laptop in a classroom or office setting.

3.4 Appreciative Leadership

Reimagine leadership through a lens of appreciation. Using positive psychology and character science, learners will explore their own strengths, learn how to spot strengths in others, and practice reinforcing feedback that energizes teams and relationships.

  • Foundational

    • Spot and affirm team members’ strengths in real-time

    • Use the 5 appreciation languages to meaningfully recognize others

    • Offer reinforcing feedback that builds motivation and trust

    • Make recognition a regular, intentional leadership practice

    • How can work be more positive and rewarding?

    • How can I recognize and encourage the strengths of others?

    • How can I give reinforcing feedback that builds trust and confidence?

A woman sitting at a desk with a laptop, facing a man leaning over the desk, in a professional office setting.

3.5 Productive Conflict: Turning Tension into Breakthroughs

Conflict isn’t the problem—how we handle it is. This workshop reframes conflict as a source of insight, creativity, and stronger solutions, giving you the mindset to move from tension and misunderstanding to shared breakthroughs.

  • Shift conflict from a roadblock into a catalyst for better ideas, relationships, and results.

    • Diagnose whether conflict is productive or unproductive

    • Apply strategies that maintain a growth mindset and psychological safety in tough conversations

    • Shift from reactive, defensive exchanges to collaborative problem-solving by adapting your conflict approach

    • What’s the difference between productive and unproductive conflict, and why does it matter?

    • How can a growth mindset help me approach conflict?

    • What conflict style do I tend to use—and how can I flex my approach to match the situation?

    • How can I prepare for a high-stakes or sensitive conversation so it stays productive and respectful?

Two hands reaching towards each other with slightly separated fingers, near a concrete barrier wall.

3.6 Expanding Empathy

Empathy is more than “being nice”—it’s a core skill in emotional intelligence that fuels trust, connection, and understanding. This workshop unpacks what empathy really looks like in action, and how you can use it to create stronger, more connected workplaces.

  • Choose to understand before being understood.

    • Recognize the difference between empathy and other responses

    • Apply empathy to navigate sensitive conversations without escalating tension

    • Use simple daily practices to expand your perspective-taking skills

    • Strengthen relationships by listening for both facts and feelings

    • What does empathy look like in action?

    • How can expanding empathy help me during high-stakes and sensitive conversations?

    • What practices can I adopt to expand my empathy?

Business meeting with four people in a conference room, three appear to be talking and one looks stressed or overwhelmed.

3.7 Resolving Conflict

In Productive Conflict – Turning Tension into Breakthroughs (3.5), you explored your default conflict modes, the difference between productive and unproductive conflict, and how to approach tense situations with a growth mindset. In this session, we put that mindset into action. You’ll learn and practice practical techniques to start, navigate, and close difficult conversations—creating safety, lowering defensiveness, and building agreements that stick.

  • Approach conflict with curiosity, composure, and a commitment to resolution.

    • Use mental preparation tools to reduce anxiety before initiating conflict conversations

    • Balance candor with care to preserve mutual respect and psychological safety

    • Spot early signs of escalation and use de-escalation skills to keep dialogue constructive

    • Close with actionable agreements and accountability for both parties

    • How can I start and navigate a difficult conversation with mutual respect, emotional composure and safety?

    • What skills help me recognize and respond when a conversation starts to escalate—so I can lower tension and keep it productive?

    • How can I close a conflict conversation in a way that ensures clarity and commitment to follow-through?

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