How to Effectively Plan, Prepare and Hold Appropriate Employee Conversations
Whether you’re:
- providing constructive feedback;
- giving positive comments;
- motivating employees;
- delivering bad news;
- preparing for a difficult conversation ;
- presenting options in the midst of a crisis;
- or simply letting your employees know that the direction on a certain project is changing;
- holding effective conversations that respect both parties’ needs is critical for building trust, engaging employees and fostering collaboration.
This interactive workshop helps managers recognize the different types of conversations that they might have with an employee, and provides tools, processes and tips to more effectively plan, prepare and hold appropriate employee conversations. The workshop will also cover basic communication elements that need to be consciously kept in mind during the conversation and how to stay in control of one’s own presence. Opportunities are given to explore real life scenarios and to practice various tools immediately, with coaching and feedback given in real time.
This workshop is offered within organizations for groups of 5 people or more.
Workshop Topics
Conversations and Processes:
Types of Manager-Employee Conversations
- Identifying the different types of conversations that managers might have
- Purpose of each type
Different Processes
- Identifying different processes to achieve different outcomes
- How to know which process to use
Managing Your Self:
Managing Your Own Feelings
- Where your feelings come from
- Seek first to understand
- A model to help you clarify your thinking
Communication Fundamentals
- Going from Reactive to Responsive
- A communications model for more effective interactions
Preparing for an Effective Manager-Employee Conversation
- Identifying the desired outcome of the conversation
- Choosing the appropriate process/model to achieve the desired outcome
- Trust in a relationship
- Style and tone
Creating the Right Atmosphere
- Practical issues (location, room set up, chair heights, etc.)
- The first few minutes
- Opening lines
- Creating a supportive climate
- Body Language
- Key interpersonal skills
Giving Positive Feedback
- The appropriate process to use
- Avoiding favoritism and praising fairly
Performance Management and Constructive Feedback
- Four stages of the conversation
- Establishing a collaborative climate
- The three step approach to managing expectations
- Tips for staying on top of things
Delivering Bad News – (non-negotiables)
- A four step approach
- Follow up
At the end of this seminar, you will have acquired the knowledge and tools to help you:
- Move from an adversarial to a collaborative approach to performance management and difficult conversations
- Create the right atmosphere for positive or constructive feedback
- Come up with creative ways to praise employees
- Initiate and conduct effective conversations leading to behavioural change
- Understand and manage reactive emotions
- Identify and alter unproductive conversational habits from reaction to response
- Use calming communication skills to bring upset people to the point of reason
- Develop positive language patterns
- Conduct and survive difficult problem-solving discussions
- Manage the dynamics of effective problem-solving during one-on-one conversations
Who Should Attend This Course?
This workshop is aimed at creating awareness of the different types of conversations a manager might have with an employee(s), the tools and processes that are available to use, and how to manage oneself in the conversations. It is meant to be used in conjunction with coaching that is available through the HR partners (e.g., role playing prior to a difficult conversation, brainstorming different options, etc.).
For more information on this workshop, please contact:
Sophie Gouédard
Tel: 613-234-2020, ext. 21
Email: sgouedard@pmctraining.com
