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Coach Group

From emotion to rational resolution

Handling Conflict and Difficult Conversations: Follow On Training 4 hours

This four-hour follow-on session covers the conflict management method, objective language, and future-focused resolution. Delegates learn to move difficult conversations away from emotion, accusation, and blame towards facts and practical action. They leave with a personal action plan ready to apply on returning to work.

Available as live online training via Microsoft Teams, or as bespoke in-house training tailored to your organisation.

Quality Training
Established 1997
4 CPD Hours
Delivery Options Upcoming Dates

Course Overview

Handling conflict and difficult conversations

This four-hour follow-on course is designed for delegates who have already developed a grounding in conflict management through the Conflict Management Training programme or the Leadership and Management Training two-day course, and who want to deepen their practical ability to handle difficult conversations in real situations. Where the full-day course covers the complete breadth of conflict prevention and resolution theory, this session focuses on applied practice: working through the six-step conflict management method, rehearsing the language that works, and leaving with a clear personal approach to any difficult conversation that arises on returning to work.

Wherever people work together, some conflict is inevitable. The important question is not whether conflict will happen but whether people know how to handle it in a calm, professional, and rational way. Delegates learn to replace the impulse to avoid the issue, react in the heat of the moment, or accept an unacceptable situation passively, and to adopt instead a structured, rational approach grounded in facts, evidence, and clear thinking. The course examines each of these three failure modes in turn and provides a practical alternative for each.

The session also addresses the specific challenge of resolving conflicts between other parties: situations where the conflict manager was not present at the original incident and must act fairly without complete knowledge of the facts. Delegates who manage people dealing with interpersonal friction, or who regularly support colleagues through disputes, will find this section directly applicable.

The six-step conflict management method: 1 — Listen without interruption; 2 — Reflect and empathise; 3 — Question to separate the facts from feelings; 4 — Answer according to a logical evaluation of the facts; 5 — Confirm, gain an understanding or agreement (if no agreement, return to step 1); 6 — Close the conversation once agreement is reached and move on.

Core Skills

The Key Skills Covered

This course focuses on the fourth of the six essential leadership skills: conflict management and handling difficult conversations. Each section provides a practical method that delegates can apply immediately on returning to work.

  1. 1

    Using Reason in Conflict

    Three unhelpful patterns emerge when conflict arises: avoidance, emotional outburst, and passive acceptance. Each one makes the underlying problem harder to resolve. This skill identifies all three and introduces the rational alternative: staying in the conversation, controlling the language used, and keeping the focus on facts. Rational does not mean cold or detached; it means choosing responses that move the conversation towards a practical outcome rather than away from one.

  2. 2

    Objective, Factual Language

    The language selected in a conflict conversation signals whether the speaker seeks resolution or escalation. Phrases built on accusation, personal opinion, or emotional interpretation invite a defensive response and close dialogue down. Objective language, anchored in specific and observable facts, invites engagement and keeps the conversation productive. Delegates practise restating charged messages in factual terms and observe the immediate difference in how those messages are received.

  3. 3

    Behaviour, Not Character

    Attacking a person's character shuts down productive conversation and triggers defensiveness. Effective conflict management focuses exclusively on the specific behaviour in question: what was done or said, when it happened, and what the effect was. This approach addresses the problem directly while protecting the other person's self-concept, making genuine behavioural change far more likely. Delegates practise framing concerns as specific observations rather than personal verdicts.

  4. 4

    The Six-Step Method

    A structured method removes the guesswork from difficult conversations. The six steps provide a clear sequence from opening the conversation through to gaining a specific commitment to change. Each step has a defined purpose, and knowing where you are in the sequence prevents the conversation from drifting into circular argument or unresolvable dispute. Delegates apply the method to a real scenario from their own working context and adapt it before they leave.

  5. 5

    Future-Focused Resolution

    Conflict conversations that stay anchored in the past almost always fail to reach resolution. Both parties hold their own version of events, and neither version can be fully verified. This skill introduces the discipline of forward-focus: redirecting the conversation from what went wrong to what will be different going forward, so that the discussion moves towards practical outcomes rather than competing accounts of the past.

  6. 6

    Voice Tone and Body Language

    Non-verbal signals communicate emotional state as effectively as words. A calm, measured voice and composed body language project rational authority and genuine intent to resolve the issue. A raised voice, tense posture, or avoidant eye contact signals that the conflict has become personal rather than professional. Delegates review the specific adjustments to voice tone, pace, posture, and proximity that make their message more credible and their presence more composed under pressure.

Who Is This Course For?

Who Should Attend This Follow On: Handling Conflict and Difficult Conversations Course?

Designed for delegates who have a grounding in conflict management and want to develop a deeper, more applied capability in handling difficult conversations using the six-step method.

Leadership and Management Graduates

Deepen your conflict management capability after completing the two-day programme.

Team Leaders and Managers

Handle difficult conversations with team members confidently and move disputes to practical resolution.

Supervisors and Team Members

Build a reliable, structured approach to conflict before it becomes a source of personal stress.

Anyone Seeking Greater Confidence

Develop the composure, language, and method to handle any difficult conversation professionally.

Also valuable for HR and people professionals who support colleagues through workplace disputes, and for supervisors and team members who want a focused, practical method for managing difficult conversations without first attending the full-day course.

Course Agenda

Follow On: Handling Conflict and Difficult Conversations Course Details

1

Part One • Handling Conflict with Reason and Objectivity • Rational thinking, objective language, and behaviour-focused communication

Understand the three unhelpful responses to conflict and why each makes the situation worse, learn to replace emotionalised language with factual, objective alternatives, and develop the discipline of commenting only on behaviour rather than character.

When conflict arises, most people respond in one of three ineffective ways: they avoid the situation entirely, hoping it will resolve itself; they react emotionally, saying things driven by frustration or anger rather than facts; or they accept the situation passively, creating resentment without addressing the underlying issue. All three patterns share a common flaw: they prevent the problem from being resolved. This opening section identifies each pattern clearly so that delegates can recognise them in their own reactions and begin to interrupt them deliberately.
Using reason in a conflict means choosing your response based on the facts of the situation rather than the intensity of your feelings about it. It means keeping your language objective, your goals clear, and your focus on what needs to change going forward rather than on how wrong the other person has been. This does not mean suppressing feelings; it means not allowing feelings to determine what you say and do in a high-stakes conversation. Delegates examine the practical difference between a reasoned response and an emotional one and identify the triggers that most commonly push them towards the latter.
Every person has a mental image of themselves, a self-concept, and any direct attack on it triggers an immediate and powerful defensive reaction. When someone is told they are incompetent, irrational, or dishonest, they stop listening to the substance of the concern and focus instead on defending their identity. The conversation becomes an argument about character rather than a problem-solving discussion about behaviour. Keeping the focus on what the person did or said, rather than on what kind of person they are, removes this trigger and keeps the conversation on productive ground.
Objective language describes observable facts and specific behaviours. It avoids personal opinions, emotional judgements, and generalisations. Saying 'the report was submitted two days after the agreed deadline' is objective; saying 'you are always unreliable' is not. The difference matters because objective language can be discussed, verified, and acted upon, whereas subjective language invites argument about interpretation and personal worth. Delegates practise identifying the subjective elements in common conflict phrases and restating them in precise, factual terms.
Certain words and phrases consistently escalate conflict: always, never, everyone thinks, obviously, and phrases that open with accusations or sweeping generalisations. Each one signals to the other person that the conversation is an attack rather than an attempt at resolution. Delegates work through a set of common escalating phrases and replace each with a more objective, specific alternative that keeps the conversation open and constructive. The exercise is directly applicable to real conversations they face in their own working context.
2

Part Two • The Six-Step Method and Difficult Conversations • Structured resolution, third-party conflicts, and action planning

Apply the six-step conflict management method to real workplace scenarios, learn how to resolve conflicts between other parties when you were not present at the original incident, and practise redirecting conversations from past blame to future solutions using controlled voice tones and body language.

The six-step method provides a clear, repeatable sequence for any difficult conversation: define your goal as changing behaviour rather than winning the argument; open the conversation calmly and without accusation; describe the specific behaviour using objective language; explain the impact of that behaviour clearly and factually; invite a response and listen without interruption; and agree on a specific, observable change going forward. Each step has a defined purpose, and following the sequence prevents the conversation from drifting into circular argument or personal attack. Delegates apply the method to a real scenario from their own working context and adapt it to their needs.
Managing a conflict between third parties is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership and people management. The conflict manager must act fairly without having witnessed the original situation and must avoid being drawn into taking sides or accepting one party's account as the definitive truth. This section covers how to gather information from both parties using objective questions, how to keep each conversation focused on facts rather than interpretations, and how to bring the two parties to a shared, forward-looking agreement without needing to adjudicate on who was right and who was wrong.
Arguments about what happened in the past have a structural problem: they are unresolvable. Each party holds their own version of events, and neither version can be fully verified. Continuing to argue about past grievances means the conversation generates heat without producing resolution. All practical solutions lie in the future, and acknowledging what has happened briefly before redirecting the conversation firmly to what will be different going forward is the most reliable way to break out of circular argument and move towards a genuine outcome.
Moving a conflict conversation forward requires a deliberate and explicit redirect. After acknowledging what has happened, use a bridging phrase that signals the shift: 'What I want to focus on now is what we are going to do differently.' Then ask a forward-looking question that opens the conversation to practical possibilities rather than closing it around past blame. This technique does not pretend the past did not happen; it prevents the past from becoming a barrier that makes resolution impossible. Delegates practise the redirect and the bridging language until it feels natural and available under pressure.
Non-verbal communication carries significant weight in high-tension situations. If the words say 'I want to resolve this' but the tone of voice is clipped, sarcastic, or impatient, the message received will match the tone rather than the words. Similarly, tense posture, avoidant or aggressive eye contact, and closed body language all signal emotional escalation rather than rational intent. Delegates review the specific elements of voice and non-verbal communication and practise the adjustments that project composure, authority, and genuine intent to resolve.
The session closes with a structured review of all the techniques covered and an individual action planning exercise. Each delegate identifies the two or three techniques they found most immediately applicable, the specific situations in which they will use them, and the exact steps they will take on returning to work. Delegates leave with a clear, practical plan and the confidence that comes from having applied the six-step method to a real scenario before they encounter it under live workplace conditions.

Availability and Pricing

Delivery Options

Choose the delivery format that best fits your schedule and team.

All options deliver the same high-quality content.

Online Live Training

£200 +VAT

per delegate

Interactive live sessions delivered via Teams using our superior green-screen technology.

  • Same content as face-to-face
  • Learn from home or office
  • Delivered via MS Teams
  • Laptop or tablet with webcam
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Bespoke In-House

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per training day

We come to you. Training delivered at your premises, tailored to your team's specific needs.

  • Your premises or online
  • Tailored to your organisation
  • Dates to suit your schedule
  • We can train in your timezone
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All Our Training Includes

Full 4 hours of expert training delivered by an experienced trainer
CPD-endorsed course: 4 CPD training hours (plus 2-3 additional hours via post-course online learning)
Full digital interactive course notes
Official training certificate
Access to free additional training material via our post-course portal
3 months of free telephone coaching while you implement your learning

Questions? Call 020 3856 3037 or 01452 856091

Upcoming Dates

Next Available Course Dates

No upcoming dates are currently listed.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Course FAQs

You can book directly online via our course dates page, call us on 020 3856 3037, or make an enquiry and we will call you back. We accept payment by BACS, cheque or credit card. Once booked, you will receive a confirmation email with full joining instructions.
Yes. We can deliver this course exclusively for your team at your premises or online, on dates to suit you. Bespoke in-house training is priced per day rather than per delegate, making it cost-effective for groups of four or more. We can also tailor the content to address your organisation's specific challenges.
This course is designed as a follow-on to the two-day Leadership and Management Training programme and assumes a working familiarity with the six-skill leadership framework introduced there. However, the conflict management content is fully self-contained and is also suitable for delegates who have completed the full-day Conflict Management Training course and want a focused, practical session to consolidate and apply what they have learned.
The six steps provide a structured sequence for any difficult conversation: define your goal as changing behaviour rather than winning the argument; open the conversation calmly and without accusation; describe the specific behaviour using objective, factual language; explain the impact of that behaviour clearly; invite a response and listen without interruption; and agree on a specific, observable change going forward. The method gives the conversation structure, direction, and a practical result, preventing it from drifting into circular argument or unresolvable blame.
When you comment on a person's character and tell them they are unreliable, aggressive, or difficult, you attack their self-concept and the immediate result is defensiveness. The other person stops engaging with the substance of the concern and focuses instead on defending their identity. By contrast, commenting on a specific behaviour, describing what was done or said, when, and with what effect, keeps the conversation on ground that can be discussed and acted upon. It also gives the other person a clear and achievable path to change: they do not have to become a different person, they only have to change a specific action.
Objective language describes what can be observed and verified: specific actions, words, times, and effects. It does not include personal opinions, emotional reactions, or generalisations. Replacing 'you never listen' with 'in our last three conversations you interrupted before I had finished' shifts the message from a personal accusation to a specific, verifiable observation. Objective language reduces defensiveness because it cannot easily be dismissed as a matter of opinion, and it gives both parties something concrete to work from when reaching a resolution.
The full-day Conflict Management Training course covers the complete range of conflict prevention and resolution skills, including communication clarity, performance management, assertiveness, and positive reinforcement. This four-hour follow-on session is not an introduction; it is a consolidation and application session. The focus is narrower and more practical: working through the six-step method, refining objective language skills, and addressing the specific challenges of third-party conflict resolution and future-focused conversation. It is designed for delegates who already have a foundation and want to practise and deepen it.
Yes, the training is highly interactive. Sessions include group discussions, exercises, case studies and individual action planning. The trainer actively teaches expert content rather than simply facilitating discussion, so delegates leave with structured knowledge they can apply immediately. The style is engaging and practical throughout.

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On This Page

  1. 1 Course Overview
  2. 2 Key Skills
  3. 3 Who Should Attend
  4. 4 Course Agenda
  5. 5 Delivery Options
  6. 6 Upcoming Dates
  7. 7 FAQs

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★★★★★

"The course content has been very well thought out and broken down into relevant sections that we all come across daily. I found the smart system and wrong box/right box systems very useful tools. Alison was very clear, explanations were concise. I also found the course very engaging and uplifting"

Michelle Connolly

Invincible Drain Care Ltd

★★★★★

"Training course content was excellent and was beyond my expectation. I would recommend this to my other colleagues to enhance their personality and develop their skills. Trainer's presentation was excellent."

Raj Francis Pereira

Two Castles Housing Association

★★★★★

"The course content was strong, informative and understandable. Easy to take key points and transfer into working life. Makes you think of how to work more effectively and productively. The trainer's presentation was clear, captivating and interesting. He was very passionate and focused on sharing knowledge."

Janine Sleath

International Greetings UK Ltd

Related Reading

Ready to Handle Conflict and Difficult Conversations with Confidence?

Book this four-hour follow-on session for yourself or your team, and leave with a clear method, sharper language skills, and the confidence to handle any difficult conversation professionally.

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