Conversations · 4 min read

Management Behaviours: Mastering Difficult Conversations at Work

10 July 2025

Let’s be honest, difficult conversations at work are the moments most managers would rather dodge. But if you’re leading a team, avoiding tough chats isn’t just risky, it’s damaging. Whether it’s dealing with poor performance, giving developmental feedback or supporting someone through a personal issue, mastering this skill is one of the most important management behaviours you can build.

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At PUSH, we train managers not just to manage, but to lead with impact. Our Management Behaviours programme includes a session that tackles this head-on: Mastering High-Performance Communication, a no-fluff, practical module focused on the conversations that matter most.

Why These Conversations Matter

When feedback is withheld, the culture suffers. Problems don’t go away, they grow. According to McKinsey’s 2025 Thriving Workplaces report , employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6x more likely to feel empowered to do their best work.

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But confidence doesn’t come naturally. Based on our PUSH pre-training survey data, 95% of managers rate themselves as ‘ not fully confident’ in handling difficult conversations or addressing underperformance.

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The good news? These skills can be learned and quickly change the dynamic across teams.

Types of Difficult Conversations at Work

We help managers identify and practise the most common scenarios they’re avoiding:

Performance management conversations, when someone’s falling short, but nothing is being said.

Giving developmental feedback, helping people grow without denting motivation.

Addressing personal or wellbeing-related issues, navigating what’s appropriate and supportive.

Challenging conversations in the workplace, handling conflict between colleagues with clarity and care.

These conversations require different tones, but the same foundations: managerial communication skills, emotional intelligence, and structure.

What’s Really Going On: Fear and Avoidance

Let’s not sugar-coat it: avoidance is easier. Especially in a busy, hybrid world where there’s never a “good time” to bring something up.

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But Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report is clear: managers are responsible for 70% of the variance in team engagement, and communication breakdowns, particularly around feedback, are among the top causes of disengagement.

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We’ve seen it time and again in our training rooms. When managers don’t speak up, trust breaks down. The silence is louder than you think.

From Theory to Practice: What Good Looks Like

In our Mastering High-Performance Communication session, we give managers a toolkit that changes everything:

Radical candour, blending care with challenge in a simple quadrant model.

CORE and SBI, practical ways to frame feedback clearly and constructively.

Communication style archetypes, helping leaders spot if they tend to be avoidant, defensive, or overly direct.

We simulate different workplace scenarios, from giving developmental feedback to how to talk to your employee about poor performance. With practice, structure and coaching, managers leave the session knowing exactly how to approach difficult conversations at work.

A Real-life Scenario: Sarah and the Missed Deadlines

Here’s one example we work through:

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Sarah, a respected team member, had missed three project deadlines. Her manager, James, didn’t want to add pressure, she was liked and often overworked. But the team was feeling the knock-on effects.

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Using the CORE model, James addressed it clearly:

Context : “Let’s talk about where we’re at with June’s deliverables.”

Observation : “I noticed three projects have overrun by a week.”

Result : “It’s creating delays for other departments and increasing team tension.”

Expectation : “Let’s break down what’s causing the delays and agree on how to improve.”

Sarah admitted she hadn’t asked for help because she didn’t want to let anyone down. Together, they made a plan, and performance improved immediately.

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It’s a simple framework, but it takes courage to use. And it works.

What’s At Stake When We Avoid It?

The consequences of poor communication aren’t just interpersonal, they’re commercial.

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Deloitte’s 2023 Human Capital Trends report found that while communication is among the most critical leadership capabilities for today’s workforce, only 23% of organisations believe their leaders are equipped to manage people challenges effectively.

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That’s a huge gap, and a huge opportunity.

What Makes PUSH Different?

We focus on behaviour. Not buzzwords.

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Our difficult conversations at work training isn’t about roleplay for the sake of it. It’s about building confidence, self-awareness, and practical skills. Every session is grounded in psychology and delivered with humanity.

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By the end of the session, your managers will:

Feel ready to have performance management conversations without fear.

Know how to give feedback that drives growth.

Recognise when they’re avoiding issues, and how to change it.

Understand their impact in challenging moments.

Be able to build an open, feedback-driven culture.

This is one of the most transformational sessions in our Management Behaviours series.

It Starts With One Conversation

The culture of a team is shaped by the worst behaviour a manager is willing to tolerate.

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If you want to lead high-performing, resilient, motivated people, your managers need to know how to deal with difficult conversations at work with skill and compassion.

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That’s exactly what we teach as part of our management training courses.

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Want to build this capability in your team? Explore the Management Behaviours programme or book a discovery call with Cate.

Want to talk about your managers or teams?

Talk to us