Courageous Conversations Training
Practical Courageous Conversations training helping staff challenge discrimination, inappropriate behaviour and difficult workplace situations confidently and constructively.
Practical Courageous Conversations training helping staff challenge discrimination, inappropriate behaviour and difficult workplace situations confidently and constructively.
Challenging inappropriate behaviour is not always easy. People may worry about saying the wrong thing, damaging a relationship, making a situation worse or being seen as confrontational.
Courageous Conversations training helps delegates develop practical skills for responding to discrimination, harassment, inappropriate language and other workplace behaviours that may need to be challenged.
The emphasis is not on encouraging confrontation. It is about recognising what is happening, deciding what response is appropriate and communicating in a way that is constructive, proportionate and more likely to create positive change.
Some situations are relatively clear. Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, disablist or other discriminatory language and behaviour may require an immediate response.
Other situations are less straightforward. A comment may be described as banter. Someone may not have intended to cause harm. Behaviour may be subtle, repeated or difficult to interpret without understanding the wider context.
Delegates explore how to distinguish between different situations and consider a range of responses rather than assuming that every incident must be handled in exactly the same way.
Courageous Conversations training can be adapted for employees, managers, supervisors, team leaders, Equality or EDI Champions and others who may need to challenge inappropriate behaviour or navigate difficult workplace conversations.
No previous specialist knowledge is required. The course is particularly useful for organisations that want employees to feel more confident about speaking up while maintaining respectful and professional working relationships.
Delegates receive a practical introduction to relevant principles of the Equality Act 2010, including protected characteristics and forms of prohibited conduct such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
The purpose is not to turn delegates into employment lawyers. Instead, the legal framework provides useful context for understanding why organisations need to take discrimination and harassment seriously and why some workplace behaviour may require intervention.
The course also recognises an important distinction: behaviour does not have to be unlawful before an organisation can consider it inappropriate or inconsistent with its values and standards.
Difficult conversations often become stuck around intention. Someone may respond to challenge by saying that they were only joking, did not mean to offend or had no discriminatory intent.
Intention can be relevant, but it does not automatically remove the impact of what was said or done. Delegates explore how to discuss intention and impact without immediately assuming bad motives or dismissing another person's experience.
A courageous conversation is not simply a difficult conversation. It involves being willing to address something important when remaining silent may allow a problem to continue.
This might involve questioning a comment, addressing repeated behaviour, explaining the impact of particular language, supporting somebody else who has been affected or raising a concern through an appropriate organisational route.
Effective challenge combines confidence with judgement. Delegates consider the purpose of the conversation, the relationship between the people involved, the seriousness of the behaviour and what outcome they are trying to achieve.
Recognise discrimination, harassment, inappropriate language, subtle exclusion and workplace behaviours that may require a response.
Consider whether to challenge directly, ask a question, support another person, report a concern or use another appropriate route.
Use constructive communication that addresses the behaviour and its impact while creating space for reflection and change.
Challenge does not always need to begin with “That was discriminatory.”
Depending on the situation, a question can sometimes open a more productive conversation:
Delegates practise different approaches and consider when a questioning approach is useful and when a clearer, firmer intervention may be necessary.
Workplace humour can strengthen relationships, but describing something as “banter” does not automatically make it harmless or appropriate.
Delegates consider context, repetition, relationships, power, subject matter and impact. They explore how apparently minor comments can contribute to exclusion or an uncomfortable working environment, particularly when they form part of a repeated pattern.
It is easier to tell people to speak up than it is to create an environment in which speaking up feels safe.
Power and status can affect whether someone feels able to challenge. An employee may respond differently to a peer than to their manager, a senior leader, customer or influential colleague.
The course therefore avoids placing all responsibility on the person who witnesses inappropriate behaviour. Delegates consider the options available when direct challenge is not appropriate, including seeking support, documenting concerns and using relevant reporting or organisational procedures.
Courageous conversations work in both directions. Delegates may also find themselves being challenged about something they have said or done.
The course explores how to resist an immediate defensive response, listen to what is being raised, ask questions where clarification is needed and reflect on impact.
Being challenged does not automatically mean that every criticism is correct. It does, however, provide an opportunity to listen and consider whether something can be learned or handled differently.
Direct challenge is only one possible response. There may be circumstances where behaviour is sufficiently serious, repeated or sensitive that reporting it through an appropriate procedure is more suitable.
Delegates consider factors that can help determine an appropriate response, including seriousness, immediate safety, power differences, organisational responsibilities and the wishes of people affected where these can appropriately be taken into account.
Training does not replace an organisation's grievance, disciplinary, dignity at work, safeguarding or whistleblowing procedures.
By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:
Courageous Conversations is designed to be practical and participative. Delegates can work through realistic workplace scenarios and consider different ways of responding.
This enables participants to experiment with language and approaches in a supportive learning environment before they need to use those skills in a real workplace conversation.
In-house delivery allows the course to reflect your organisation's workplace culture, policies, terminology and the situations delegates are likely to encounter.
Relevant anonymised scenarios can be incorporated where appropriate, helping delegates connect the principles of constructive challenge with their own working environment.
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, workplace culture and priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
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