People Matter: Handling difficult conversations

The next in our in-person People Matter workshop series takes place on 23 April in Manchester.

These are designed for HR professionals who regularly support managers, employees and teams through difficult or sensitive workplace conversations.  As HR practitioners, you often help others raise concerns early, handle issues informally and ensure discussions follow the ACAS Code and this session focuses on strengthening the skills and confidence needed to approach these conversations effectively.
 
This practical workshop brings together a short presentation and an interactive, scenario based session where you can explore real workplace situations, share insights with peers and develop structured approaches that help ensure conversations remain constructive, fair and focused on behaviour rather than personal attributes.  

The session will include:

• Preparing for difficult conversations, including gathering facts, planning the setting and structuring the discussion
• Understanding how individuals may react and using open, closed and probing questions to guide the conversation
• Techniques for communicating concerns clearly whilst maintaining objectivity, professionalism and empathy
• Approaches to taking control of meetings, managing challenging moments and agreeing appropriate next steps
• HR’s role in supporting managers, including when informal action is appropriate and when issues may need to progress formally
• A practical skills exercise featuring realistic scenarios to build confidence and explore outcomes in a supportive environment

If you have dietary requests or need adjustments to take part in this workshop, please complete our requirements form.

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