Difficult Conversations: How to De-escalate When Things Get Tense

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “How did THAT get so heated?”

Maybe you were trying to address a problem with an employee.
Maybe a client was upset.
Maybe you and a business partner saw the exact same situation completely differently.

Or maybe there's a conversation you're currently avoiding because you already know it's going to be difficult.

Join me for a small, interactive Lunch & Learn where we'll look at what really happens during difficult conversations—and practice some tools for keeping them from going off the rails.

We'll explore:

• What Happened? — Why two people can experience the same event and have completely different stories about it.
• Intent vs. Impact — Someone can have a positive intention and still have a negative impact. Separating the two can change the entire conversation.
• Blame vs. Contribution — Instead of trying to figure out who's wrong, we'll look at how to understand what happened and what each person contributed.
• Feelings — Because pretending you're not angry, frustrated, hurt, or defensive doesn't make those feelings disappear. It usually just makes them come out sideways.
• Identity — Sometimes a conversation feels disproportionately intense because what's really at stake isn't the situation—it's what we think the situation says about us.

And this is NOT just a presentation.
We'll work through a real-world scenario together, discuss different perspectives, and you'll have a chance to apply the ideas to a difficult conversation of your own.

You don't need to share anything you're uncomfortable sharing.

The goal isn't to "win" the conversation.

The goal is to create a better way to have the next one.

Limited to 10 participants
Try a new local restaurant! (Participants purchase their own lunch)

Get there by 1 to order lunch. We will start shortly after.

Because this is designed to be interactive, RSVP is required and seating is limited to 10.

Come with a difficult conversation in mind.
Leave with a different way to approach it.