10 Critical Conversation Training Courses
We’ve handpicked some of the most recommended critical conversation training courses that can help equip you with some skills and techniques on how to properly navigate a difficult and critical conversation and become more adept at it. Keep scrolling to learn more.
1. Managing Difficult Conversations
Sending signals about frustrations and discontentment, critical conversations are usually dreaded and avoided by most people. However, little is known about the consequences of simply avoiding a difficult conversation, which can only haunt you for as long as you keep from addressing it. SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s microlearning course, Managing Difficult Conversations, will equip you with some tips and tricks on how to handle a critical conversation head-on, so you will no longer have to avoid it in the future. Here, you’ll learn how to build a space for critical conversations, provide negative feedback, show how improvements can be made through empathy, and also acknowledge and apologize for mistakes. This critical conversation training course will also help you understand the value of addressing difficult conversations and how they can help you and your colleagues to grow and improve relationships at work.
Not your usual free elearning resources, this SC Training (formerly EdApp) course contains games and quizzes, which is why it’s more fun and engaging to take. This helps lower the mental barriers to absorbing new information, ensuring higher learning retention.
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Scope: Tips on handling difficult conversations, providing negative feedback, delivering authentic apology, the importance of difficult conversations
Created by SC Training (formerly EdApp)
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2. Handling Objections with Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, or the ability to recognize and control one’s own emotions, is a vital skill that can help you successfully handle critical conversations. And while it comes innate for some, this skill is something that can be learned and mastered over time. SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Handling Objections with Emotional Intelligence consists of a series of short lessons designed to build and enhance this skill, as well as apply it in a variety of difficult situations. In this difficult conversation training course, you’ll learn how to build up your level of emotional intelligence through active listening and the right facial expressions, posture, body language in making eye-contact, resolve critical conversations without emotionally hurting anyone, and handle any objections that may come your way. It will also guide you on how to receive negative feedback and use it to drive a positive force in your career.
To reduce the risk of cognitive overload, SC Training (formerly EdApp) employed a microlearning design strategy and made sure that the content of this course is brief and simple. You can take and complete this course in just minutes, and not days or weeks.
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Scope: Developing emotional intelligence through active listening and body language, resolving conflicts and critical situations, taking feedback like a pro
Created by SC Training (formerly EdApp)
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3. Difficult Conversations
In this critical conversation training course by Skillsoft, you’ll discover different techniques on how you can squarely approach critical conversations while preserving your relationship with the other person. It will walk you through basic guidelines about when and where to initiate this difficult conversation, alongside a four-step process on how you can prepare beforehand. This way, you can be confident enough to steer the conversation constructively and diplomatically, and properly develop these interpersonal skills. This Skillsoft training also comes with a series of short clips where you’ll get to hear some constructive insights from industry experts, mainly discussing some tips on handling potentially hurtful situations with a difficult person. A digital badge will be provided upon completion, which you can share on any social network or business platform.
Cost: $29 per month (subscription basis)
Scope: Techniques for managing difficult conversations, when and where to initiate critical conversations, preparation guidelines, expert insights on critical conversations
Created by Skillsoft
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4. Communication Skills Machine: Master Persuasion and Influence for Entrepreneurship, Business, & Life
This critical conversation training course by SkillShare goes into detail about an expertly proven communication skills methodology that will help you develop the key communication skills you need to become more persuasive and influential in your field. Knowing the inside and out of this communication approach will give you the right assertiveness to take control of any conversations, like having crucial discussions and successfully persuading someone to take action as needed. Additionally, this course will provide you with some pointers on defending yourself against any manipulative persuasion strategies, and using them to your advantage. This course has a total of 23 short video lessons that you can take on the go using your mobile phone.
Cost: Free for 7 days; Upgrade available for unlimited access
Scope: Communication skills methodology, taking control of critical situations, persuasion techniques, preventing manipulative persuasion tactics
Created by SkillShare
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5. Getting Your Voice Heard
While we all have the right to express our thoughts and freely discuss things that concern and interest us, getting our voices heard isn't always as easy as it seems. For this reason, SC Training (formerly EdApp), in partnership with The Spark, has developed a mini training course on Getting your Voice Heard, where you will learn some techniques on how to put yourself forward and market yourself and your ideas. These strategies are particularly helpful in difficult situations, like when having a critical conversation with someone. Key communication frameworks, particularly the OOF and DESC models, will be visited to improve your assertiveness and overcome situations when you don't feel heard. It will also touch on the tone of voice and various response styles and how to recognize and respond to them to maintain a harmonious conversation with other people.
This critical conversation training course is divided into four lessons, delivered in a microlearning format for higher impact learning. It's free to use for anyone who wants to develop and enhance their communication confidence and become a person who is heard, respected, and valued at work.
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Scope: Techniques to be more assertive, the OOF and DESC models, different response styles
Created by SC Training (formerly EdApp)
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6. Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue
While often feared by many, critical conversation is deemed as the heart of healthy and high-performing organizations. In this critical conversation training course by Crucial Learning, you’ll learn an array of powerful, good communication and social skills for working through critical conversations and influencing real behavioral change in your team. This includes getting unstuck in a complicated situation, mastering your stories, understanding each other’s perspectives, seeking mutual purpose, and moving into action, all of which are grounded in decades of social science research. The content will be delivered in a series of video lessons and modules, followed by assessments to ensure retention. Offered in a self-paced format, you have the ultimate convenience and flexibility to take and complete this course to your best availability.
Cost: $275.00 USD
Scope: Nine skills for working through critical conversations, tips to influence real behavioral change, how to communicate effectively
Created by Crucial Learning
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7. Managing Challenging Conversations
You can also take this manager soft skills course by Virtual College to gain some tips on how you can approach difficult conversations with your team and avoid misunderstandings, which are particularly beneficial if your role involves leading, managing, and supervising them. It covers the key principles in resolving a conflict, giving performance feedback, and managing reflective activities to generate confidence and commitment from your staff. As you progress through this course, you'll also learn how to apply the good interpersonal skills you’ve acquired to effectively lead a two-way communication that produces positive outcomes. This course is rather short, and it will only take approximately 30 minutes to complete, depending on your learning pace. A Virtual College certification will be awarded upon successful course completion.
Cost: £20.00 + VAT
Scope: Key principles for managing challenging conversations, application of communication skills to generate positive outcomes
Created by Virtual College
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8. Improving Communication Skills
Led by none other than the best-selling author Maurice Schweitzer, this Coursera course unpacks a number of tools and strategies to help enhance your business communication skills and effectively handle critical discourses. Among the critical conversation skills, you’ll discover here include developing trust, creating persuasive messages, becoming an active listener, and apologizing for mistakes. You will also learn how to choose the right medium for your conversations (face-to-face conversation, video conference, phone call, or email) and respond strategically to get your message across. There are a total of four lessons for this course, which can take at least 10 hours to complete. Perfect for busy bees out there, you can set and reset the deadlines following your schedule.
Cost: Free for 7 days; Upgrade available for unlimited access
Scope: Communication tools and strategies, steps to gain and build trust, how to listen, active listening skills, conversation mediums, strategic responses for better outcomes
Created by Coursera
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9. Effective Communication
The Effective Communication course offered by SC Training (formerly EdApp) recognizes the importance of improving communication skills when having a difficult discourse with someone – personally or virtually. This critical conversation training course goes over topics, such as revamping communication skills, speaking publicly and effectively, and connecting virtually while still maintaining a personal connection. Through this course, you’ll turn into better communicators who drive action among an audience, whether in person or online setting.
This course is free and can be shared with your colleagues. SC Training (formerly EdApp) is an LMS platform that provides social learning features so you can share your ideas on any lesson slide. You can use this to practice your communication skills and gather feedback.
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Scope: Revamping communication skills, verbal communication, speaking in public effectively, connecting virtually
Created by SC Training (formerly EdApp)
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10. Active Listening
Using active listening in critical conversations will allow you to better understand the other person. This, in turn, will help you come up with more valuable input and move the conversation forward. This Active Listening course by SC Training (formerly EdApp) goes through the nuts and bolts of active listening and how you can leverage this skill in building trust and rapport with the people around you. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding the body language of the second person and listening for what’s not being said. Knowing how to interpret nonverbal cues will help the other person see you and your ideas in a more favorable light.
While it’s originally designed for the sales industry, the techniques listed in this course can be applied to almost any uncomfortable situation, such as when having a critical conversation with your colleagues and bosses. SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s mobile-first approach makes the learning experience easier and more convenient as you can take and complete this course anytime and anywhere you prefer.
Cost: Free (up to 10 users)
Scope: Core principles of active listening, application of active listening, the importance of non-verbal cues
Created by SC Training (formerly EdApp)
Explore the courseMaster the art of crucial conversations with critical conversation training courses
A critical conversation goes beyond just a simple human interaction and exchange of messages and ideas. In this type of discourse, you need to share your point of view, and at the same time, listen to the other person's perspective to find common ground and achieve an agreement. The stakes are usually high in a critical conversation, creating intense emotions on both sides. Because of the common notion that it only creates or even intensifies conflicts, there’s no denying that some people would rather avoid it at all costs. But here's the thing: running away from it just serves to prolong your discontent and frustration. On the other hand, being able to skillfully navigate a critical conversation can help take your work and personal relationships to new heights, further preventing future disagreements. Unsure of how to take the best approach in handling a critical conversation? Several courses can lend a hand, get you into the habit of it, and help you become more skilled at managing crucial discourses. As you master the art of handling critical conversations, you’ll witness how it will dramatically improve the quality of your life, both professionally and personally.