Note from Art: With this post, I’m excited to announce my latest free webinar: Stop Dreading Mondays—Get the Fear Out of Challenging Conversations.

The most critical issues in our workplaces tend to be the ones we’re not talking about!

In workshops with emerging leaders, once we’ve broken the ice and developed a comfort level with each other, I ask for a show of hands on this question: How many of you have deliberately delayed or indefinitely put-off a discussion you don’t want to have?

Slowly, a few hands go up. And then a few more. And unless someone’s boss is in the room in about fifteen seconds, every hand in the room is in the air, including mine. (Note: executive audiences aren’t immune from the tendency to dodge and delay, either, although they are a bit slow on the draw to confess.)

Everyone laughs a bit uncomfortably, and then we dig-in and explore the types of conversations that tend to reduce motivated, positive professionals to individuals looking to duck that overdue feedback discussion or avoid meeting with challenging coworkers.

It turns out, there are some conversations and presentations that just the thought of engaging in them make some people dread the workday or workweek (thus the webinar title: Stop Dreading Mondays!) These include:

  • Constructive feedback discussions with challenging people
  • Talking about anything with that coworker who seems to have a hair-trigger temper
  • Talking to anyone about why their roles are changing
  • Trying to convince a blocker to back your proposal, when it means they will have to change
  • Resource discussions with stressed out and stretched thin managers
  • Presenting to the executive team for the first time
  • Presenting to the board of directors almost anytime
  • Delivering bad news

Should I keep going?

What’s always been interesting to me is knowing that everything important takes place in one or more challenging discussions, yet, on the whole, we are under-trained and under-practiced in some vital communication and persuasion techniques.

My new webinar, Stop Dreading Mondays—Get the Fear Out of Challenging Conversations, is one attempt to offer some help. (We’ve made it incredibly easy for you to watch it on demand or at a time that fits your schedule.) Here’s what we cover:

  • The BIG SIX challenging conversations everyone must master to succeed
  • Five keys to developing as a successful communicator
  • The dirty little communication secret I learned in over a decade of executive coaching
  • How I averted near career disaster by focusing on mastering challenging conversations
  • Strategies to deal with 10 difficult workplace communication situations

And yes, I preview my new online course: Crushing it with Challenging Conversations at the end, however, the webinar stands on its own merits, offering practical ideas you can use immediately in the workplace.

One other resource: my growing series of articles here in the Challenging Conversations category offers another lifeline filled with ideas and approaches for you to put to work.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

I would love for you to join me on the webinar and to share your own experiences, questions, and ideas here on the blog. After all, we all need to learn to succeed with challenging conversations on our way to success!

Art's Signature