Dealing With Difficult Conversations

Course Overview

Title:
Dealing With Difficult Conversations
Type:
Self-Directed Course
Time Estimate:
This course takes about an hour to complete.

About Self-Directed Courses

In a self-directed course, you can start and stop whenever you like, progressing entirely at your own pace and going back as many times as you want to review the material.

Difficult conversations are just that -- difficult.

But with proper preparation, execution and follow-up, you can approach even the toughest conversations with confidence. You'll learn about different conflict-resolution styles (with explanations of when to use each) and identify your own style. We'll also show you how to deal with any unexpected turns the conversation takes.

This course will arm you with the tools you need to get from start to finish.

What Will I Learn:

Upon completing this course, you will know how to:

  • Identify the factors that should be considered before conducting a difficult conversation
  • Choose appropriate opening lines, responses and closing comments during the conversatio.
  • Create an effective follow-up plan tailored to the situation
Who should take this course:

Editors, producers, newsroom leaders, department heads, managers and just about anyone who has to have a difficult conversation.

Course Instructor:

Jill Geisler

Jill Geisler is Senior Faculty/Leadership and Management at The Poynter Institute. She teaches and consults in the field of leadership and change management in print, broadcast and online newsrooms, and facilitates strategic planning for organizations that want to improve. She's the author of "News Leadership at the Head of the Class: The Journalist's Guide to Teaching Leadership Skills and Values."

Technical Requirements:

For this course you will need to have at least version 8.0 of the Flash plugin installed. For the best experience, we suggest that:

  • PC users use Internet Explorer or Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox
  • Mac users use Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox or Safari
  • You set your monitor resolution to 1024 x 768 or higher
  • You use a high-speed connection

This course contains audio, so please make sure you have your speakers or headphones on.