Conversations & Listening
Effective Conversations
Ask purposeful questions, respond to concerns, and reach shared understanding in two-way workplace conversations.
Standard version
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Participants explore productive two-way conversations through common workplace situations. The course shows how to ask purposeful questions, respond to concerns, and reach shared understanding and apply those decisions on the job.
What you'll learn
- Develop skills in active listening and empathetic communication
- Enhance abilities to handle difficult conversations and conflict
- Practice techniques for persuasive and influential communication
- Use course methods to ask purposeful questions, respond to concerns, and reach shared understanding in a workplace scenario.
- Develop a conversation framework for a difficult topic aligned to a relevant work need.
What you'll be able to do
- Identify a workplace need connected to productive two-way conversations.
- Select an appropriate way to ask purposeful questions, respond to concerns, and reach shared understanding.
- Explain the reasoning behind that choice and identify its limitations.
- Produce a conversation framework for a difficult topic that addresses a relevant work need.
- Set review points for a conversation framework for a difficult topic and identify one adjustment.
Productive conversations help federal teams solve problems, resolve concerns, and stay aligned on priorities. This course helps participants listen actively, ask purposeful questions, respond to concerns, and reach shared understanding, including in difficult moments. Participants practice techniques they can use in conversations with colleagues, supervisors, and stakeholders.
What you'll learn
- Apply active listening and empathetic communication techniques.
- Ask purposeful questions that clarify needs and concerns.
- Respond to disagreement and difficult moments with professionalism.
- Use persuasive communication to build agreement.
- Reach shared understanding and clear next steps.
What you'll be able to do
- Listen in ways that make others feel heard.
- Ask better questions to understand issues fully.
- Stay calm and constructive in difficult conversations.
- Build agreement on next steps.
- Strengthen working relationships through better conversations.