This session explores what we really mean by “difficult conversations” at work, drawing on PhD research into lived experience, identity, and workplace dialogue.
Too often, we assume they’re only about performance or conflict. In reality, the hardest conversations often touch on health, boundaries, emotions, and identity — the parts of ourselves that don’t neatly fit into job descriptions but matter profoundly for how we show up at work.
Together we will:
- Rethink what makes a conversation “difficult” and what’s missing from the usual frame.
- Explore how identity, health, and marginalisation add emotional weight to coaching conversations.
- Explore practical tools and reflective practices — drawing on real examples from research and practice — that help managers and HR professionals hold conversations that are more power-conscious, compassionate, and constructive.
Expect an interactive session that blends research insights with real-world reflection and discussion, leaving you with both fresh perspectives and practical approaches for the coaching conversations you hold in your day-to-day work.
