Difficult Conversations at Work!
Avoiding tough conversations creates tension, misunderstandings, and lost opportunities.
We help individuals, leaders, and organisations face these moments with courage and compassion, building healthier relationships, stronger teams, and more inclusive workplaces.
Why Difficult Conversations Matter
​Not every workplace conversation is about performance or deadlines. Some of the toughest, most avoided conversations are about human realities, health, wellbeing, and personal challenges that deeply affect how we show up at work.
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Health & Wellbeing: Talking openly about mental health, illness, burnout, or stress can feel risky, yet silence leaves people isolated and unsupported.
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Inclusion & Belonging: Raising issues of bias, accessibility, or feeling excluded can be uncomfortable, yet avoiding them erodes trust and fairness.
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Personal Matters at Work: From bereavement to family pressures, personal struggles often sit unspoken in professional spaces, yet they shape how people feel, connect, and perform.
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Traditional Workplace Issues: Even performance feedback, conflict, or change management can feel unsafe when handled without care.
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Silence doesn’t protect people, it creates tension, misunderstanding, and mistrust. Honest dialogue, on the other hand, fosters empathy, resilience, and stronger human connection.
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Our Approach
Difficult conversations don’t have to damage relationships or morale. With the right support, they can become moments of growth, connection, and change. We create spaces where people feel safe, supported, and respected, while still addressing the issues that matter most.
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Our approach combines human warmth with evidence-based practice, drawing on the latest research in occupational psychology, health, and workplace inclusion. This means the tools and techniques we use are not only practical, but also proven to work in complex, real-world environments.
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We bring together three essential elements:
Courage
We equip people with the confidence to step into conversations they might otherwise avoid, whether about health, wellbeing, inclusion, or performance. Using structured frameworks and psychological techniques, we help people prepare, stay grounded, and find the words that matter.
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Compassion
Behind every difficult conversation are people with real emotions and lived experiences. We use empathy-building exercises, active listening models, and reflective tools to ensure everyone feels heard and respected. Compassion makes it possible to approach sensitive topics, such as mental health, grief, or personal challenges, without fear or judgment.
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Inclusion
We ensure that diverse voices and perspectives are part of the dialogue. By applying evidence-based methods from inclusion research and health psychology, we create psychologically safe spaces where individuals and organisations can face hard truths together, learn from one another, and move forward collectively.
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Our Tools for Better Conversations
We’ve developed a set of practical, evidence-based tools to help individuals, teams, and organisations approach sensitive conversations with greater clarity and confidence. Each tool is grounded in psychological research and designed to make dialogue feel safer, more structured, and more purposeful.
The Conversation Compass
A reflective framework for navigating difficult conversations.
The Compass prompts people to consider eight core elements, from purpose and power dynamics, to pressures, presence, and follow-up. It helps individuals and managers prepare before a conversation, stay grounded during it, and learn from it afterwards.
The Conversation Canvas
A facilitation tool for inclusive dialogue.
The Canvas creates a structured space where multiple voices and perspectives can be heard. It is particularly useful in group or team settings, guiding participants to surface emotions, explore different viewpoints, and move towards constructive solutions without anyone being left out.
The Conversation Keys
A set of simple, memorable prompts and actions that unlock better dialogue.
The Keys provide practical language cues and question frames that make it easier to start, sustain, and progress a sensitive discussion. They help people find words that reduce defensiveness, build trust, and keep conversations moving in a constructive direction.
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Whether you’re a manager preparing for a challenging one-to-one, a team leader fostering more open dialogue, or an organisation striving for healthier workplace culture, these tools can support you at every step.
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You can purchase The Compass, Canvas, and Keys for your own use directly through the Resources section of our website. (Bundle options available)
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If you’d like to learn more about how to apply these tools in your workplace, or explore tailored training and support, please get in touch.
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Who We Support
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For Individuals
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1:1 coaching to prepare for conversations about health, wellbeing, and personal challenges at work
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Practical strategies for raising sensitive issues with confidence and clarity
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Support in finding the right language and approach for conversations that feel overwhelming or risky
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For Organisations
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Guidance and facilitation for workplace-wide conversations on inclusion, wellbeing, and health
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Training leaders and managers to approach personal and sensitive topics with empathy and confidence
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Embedding psychologically safe practices so employees feel supported to speak up about what matters to them
Outcomes You Can Expect​
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Greater trust and respect
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Stronger, more cohesive teams
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Leaders confident in addressing sensitive issues
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Reduced workplace tension and stress
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A culture of inclusion and wellbeing
Difficult Conversations
Training & Webinars
Why We Avoid the Conversations That Matter
Learn what makes some conversations feel so risky and explore the psychological, relational, and organisational barriers to dialogue.
Discover how avoidance patterns develop and how to begin breaking them.
Building Emotional Readiness
Explore practical strategies for managing your emotions before, during, and after a conversation.
Gain tools for regulation, confidence-building, and stepping into dialogue instead of stepping back.
The Conversation difficulty Continuum
Understand how conversations vary in difficulty.
From everyday feedback to identity-based disclosures and learn how to map and prepare for each type using our research-based framework.
From Preparation to Action
Learn how to plan for difficult conversations using structured reflection tools and rehearsal techniques.
Move from endless “what ifs” into confident, purposeful action.
After the Conversation: Reflection & Growth
Conversations don’t end when the words do.
Learn how to process outcomes, reflect on what worked, and embed lessons for future dialogue.
Creating Cultures of Openness
(For Groups & Organisations)
Explore how teams and leaders can foster psychological safety and collective confidence.
Learn strategies for moving from silence to openness at scale.