Navigating Difficult Conversations

• 53% of leaders avoid difficult conversations because they don’t have the training to handle them

• 70% of people admit to avoiding difficult conversations because they are not equipped to deal with them.

The Chaplaimcy Stream focused on how to navigate difficult conversations in a complex world. There is a growing sense of discomfort as we try to balance the unchanging message of Christ with a world that is challenging every norm and absolute. This leads us often into difficult conversations and if they are not handled well, they can diminish our effectiveness and break our connection with people who are desperately in need of support. Our desire is to:

• Help people find answers

• Keep communication lines open

• Bring relevance and support

• Maintain integrity and truth

It’s not just what we say, but how we say it.

Effective Conversations Framework

The outer circle of the framework focusses on what we need to do before we start the conversation and the inner circle focusses on what we need to do during the conversation.

There are so many things which can get in the way before we even start talking – Cognitive Dissonance, Unconscious Bias, Triggers and Transference. We need to work on ourselves if we are really going to make a difference; but a little preparation, a little thought and a good serve of empathy will make us highly effective and will open up the conversation.

Building on each of the concepts in the framework, provides us with an effective mechanism for dealing with any difficult conversation whether it is resolving a conflict or navigating one of the challenging areas listed below.

Jesus was comfortable in having difficult conversations – whoever He was talking to. The good news is that we can be confident as well, bringing real support and direction to those in need. Chaplaincy Australia are working to help you and your team be equipped with all the skills you need to navigate the difficult conversations we all face today.

If you are interested in exploring this subject further, contact Chaplaincy Australia for some personally tailored training to suit the needs of your church team.