Do you avoid conflict and difficult conversations? Does your team tell you they don’t have enough information about what’s going on at UM and how it impacts them?

In this unit, managers will develop effective communication strategies for improving trust and transparency within the team, dealing with conflict, becoming a better listener, and engaging in difficult conversations.

Learning Outcomes

• Practice internal communication strategies to minimize uncertainty for your team.
• Communicate transparently in order to build trust and goodwill.
• Develop the mindset of an active listener.
• Apply the principles of effective meetings to ensure they are productive and inclusive methods for communicating, connecting, and working.
• Gain tools to address conflict productively.
• Learn strategies to develop psychological safety within your team.

1. Prepare by watching online learning pathway

For Managers: Communicating with Your Team LinkedIn Learning Pathway

• 1 hour, 22 minutes of content; make time for this on your calendar

2. Attend a session to discuss ideas in more depth

Approaching Difficult Conversations

Thursday, April 6, 3-4:30 p.m., Education 123

Do you dread or avoid conflict or difficult conversations? In this workshop, you will learn how to develop effective communication strategies for improving trust and transparency within the team, become a better listener, deal with conflict productively, and engage in difficult conversations.

3. Apply something you've learned

After the learning session, each participant will be asked to work on implementing something from the unit. You will also have a chance to discuss your plans with other cohort members to learn how they will apply the concepts from this unit, seek or share advice, and provide informal peer mentoring support.

Implement one of these suggestions for applying your online learning to your management work--or create your own application!

• With your team, watch the Making Meetings Meaningful LinkedIn Learning pathway and then implement what you've learned in your meetings together (e.g. identify a standing meeting that does not need to be a meeting and cancel it; make sure every meeting has a purpose and agenda, etc.)
• Review the way you communicate with your team and determine a way that you can improve transparency and connection.
• In a conversation with an employee or teammate, practice active listening. Keep practicing.
• Review this article about the importance of 1:1 meetings and how to do them well. Set up recurring 1:1 meetings with your direct reports. Create the meeting agendas together.
• Within a meeting, focus on whose voices are usually heard (or not) and try a new meeting format to include everyone.
• Identify an implement an action that could improve the level of psychological safety within your team.
• Identify a conflict with a coworker that has been bothering you and apply conflict management techniques to begin addressing it.
• Is there a difficult conversation that you know you need to have, but are avoiding? Have it.