Knowles Training Institute · Philippines
Having Difficult Conversations Course in Philippines
Build the practical communication skills needed to address sensitive issues clearly, respectfully and constructively. A corporate training course for organisations in the Philippines, delivered onsite, virtually or at an arranged venue.
The key facts, in one place.
A quick summary of what HR, L&D teams and business leaders usually need before shortlisting this programme.
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Final delivery format and duration depend on the agreed programme scope and audience.
What is the Having Difficult Conversations course?
Difficult conversations arise when expectations, behaviour, performance, relationships or workplace concerns need to be addressed directly. Avoiding the conversation can leave issues unresolved, while approaching it without preparation can create further misunderstanding.
This course develops a practical approach to preparing for and conducting conversations where the subject may be sensitive, uncomfortable or contested. Participants consider the purpose of the conversation, the facts available, the people involved and the outcome they need to work towards.
Participants also practise how to listen, ask useful questions, communicate concerns clearly and respond when the other person becomes defensive, emotional or resistant. The emphasis is on respectful communication without avoiding the issue.
Through examples, activities and workplace practice, the course helps participants structure conversations before they happen and handle them more deliberately when they are underway. The approach can be adapted to the roles, situations and communication challenges found in your organisation.
Conversation planning
Clarify the purpose, facts, desired outcome and approach before speaking.
Clear communication
Raise sensitive issues directly while keeping language specific and respectful.
Active listening
Listen for concerns, ask useful questions and check understanding.
Emotional responses
Stay composed and respond constructively when emotions rise.
Constructive feedback
Discuss behaviour, impact and expectations without personal attacks.
Follow-through
Agree practical next steps and keep the conversation moving towards resolution.
Is this course right for your team?
A quick check against the situations this programme is designed to address.
A good fit if
- Managers need to address performance, behaviour or conduct concerns
- Team members avoid conversations because they expect them to become uncomfortable
- Leaders need a consistent approach to giving difficult feedback
- HR and managers want practical conversation structures they can use at work
- Teams need to handle disagreement while maintaining professional relationships
Consider another course if
- Your priority is general presentation or public speaking rather than sensitive conversations
- You need specialist legal advice or case-specific employment law guidance
- Your main need is negotiation training rather than workplace conversation skills
- You want advanced counselling or clinical communication training
Not sure? Tell us the situation and we will point you to a better-fitting programme.
What business problems does this course help address?
These are observable workplace situations where difficult conversations can be delayed, unclear or poorly handled.
Issues are left unaddressed
Managers postpone sensitive discussions, allowing concerns to continue or become harder to resolve.
Feedback feels too personal
Conversations focus on the person rather than specific behaviour, impact and expectations.
Messages become unclear
People soften or avoid the main point, leaving the other person unsure about what needs to change.
Defensiveness derails discussion
Strong reactions can shift attention away from the original concern and make progress difficult.
Disagreements linger
Colleagues leave difficult issues unresolved, creating repeated friction or additional conversations.
Follow-up is inconsistent
Agreed actions are not revisited, so expectations and commitments can become unclear again.
What participants will be better able to do.
The course focuses on practical behaviours participants can apply when preparing for and holding difficult workplace conversations.
By the end of the course, participants will work towards the following objectives.
- Identify situations that require a difficult conversation
- Clarify the purpose and intended outcome of a conversation
- Separate observable facts from assumptions and interpretations
- Plan an appropriate opening for a sensitive discussion
- Communicate concerns using specific and respectful language
- Ask questions that encourage useful dialogue
- Listen actively and check understanding
- Recognise common defensive and emotional responses
- Respond to disagreement without escalating the conversation
- Give feedback about behaviour and impact constructively
- Agree clear actions, expectations and follow-up
- Reflect on difficult conversations and identify improvements for future discussions
How the two days are structured.
Each stage builds on the one before it, moving from preparation into conversation practice and follow-through.
- STAGE 01
Recognise
Identify when a conversation is difficult and what makes the situation sensitive.
- STAGE 02
Prepare
Clarify facts, purpose, desired outcomes and the approach before the discussion.
- STAGE 03
Communicate
Open the conversation, explain concerns and keep the message clear and respectful.
- STAGE 04
Respond
Listen, ask questions and work constructively with emotion, resistance and disagreement.
- STAGE 05
Follow through
Agree actions, clarify expectations and reflect on how the conversation can be improved.
What the course covers.
The programme combines preparation, communication, response skills and follow-through across four connected themes.
- What makes a conversation difficult?Recognising sensitive topics, competing expectations and emotional pressure.
- When should you have the conversation?Deciding when an issue needs to be addressed rather than left unresolved.
- Facts, assumptions and impactSeparate observable information from interpretations before raising a concern.
- Clarifying purpose and outcomeDefine what the conversation needs to achieve before it begins.
- Structuring the openingStart a sensitive discussion clearly, directly and professionally.
- Choosing the right approachAdapt language and structure to the person, context and issue.
- Listening and questioningUse active listening and useful questions to understand the response.
- Giving difficult feedbackDiscuss behaviour, impact and expectations without making it personal.
- Managing emotion and resistanceStay focused when the conversation becomes defensive, emotional or tense.
- Working through disagreementKeep the discussion constructive when views or expectations differ.
- Agreeing actions and expectationsTurn the discussion into clear, practical next steps.
- Following up effectivelyReview commitments and reflect on what to improve in future conversations.
How participants learn.
An active learning approach. Short facilitator inputs, real examples, small-group practice, application to your own workplace situations, and structured reflection.
- 01
Learn
Short, focused facilitator input on the concept and why it matters.
- 02
See
Worked examples and realistic scenarios drawn from workplace conversations.
- 03
Practise
Small-group activities and exercises where participants try the method.
- 04
Apply
Participants work the method against their own real tasks and situations.
- 05
Reflect
Structured review and an action plan to take back to the workplace.
Where participants can apply these skills.
The workplace situations where participants can use the course material after the session.
Performance conversations
Discuss performance concerns, expectations and next steps with greater structure.
Behaviour and conduct
Raise concerns about workplace behaviour clearly and respectfully.
Team disagreements
Address differences between colleagues before they become recurring friction.
Employee feedback
Give specific feedback about behaviour, impact and expectations.
Stakeholder concerns
Handle sensitive discussions with internal or external stakeholders professionally.
Change and expectations
Explain changes, clarify expectations and make space for questions or concerns.
Who should attend this course?
This programme is designed for professionals who need to raise sensitive issues, give difficult feedback or guide challenging workplace discussions.
- Managers
- Team Leaders
- HR Professionals
- Supervisors
- Executives
- People Managers
- Team Members
Prerequisites & experience level
No prior experience or formal qualification is required. The programme is pitched at foundation to intermediate level and works well for participants who regularly need to address sensitive workplace issues or who have had limited formal training in difficult conversations.
Group size
- Minimum: 1 participant
- Maximum: 25 participants
We keep the session interactive at every size, so everyone takes part in the discussion and the hands-on practice.
How the two days run.
The agenda can be contextualised to the organisation while retaining the core learning sequence.
Day one: prepare and open
- 9:00Welcome, objectives and what makes conversations difficult
- 10:30When a difficult conversation is needed
- 11:30Facts, assumptions, impact and conversation purpose
- 13:00Lunch
- 14:00Planning the message and opening the discussion
- 15:30Giving difficult feedback with clarity and respect
- 17:00Day one review and reflection
Day two: respond and resolve
- 9:00Recap and practising conversation openings
- 10:30Listening, questioning and checking understanding
- 11:30Managing emotion, defensiveness and resistance
- 13:00Lunch
- 14:00Working through disagreement constructively
- 15:30Agreeing actions, expectations and follow-up
- 17:00Action planning and close
Format, customisation and facilitator.
Format & delivery
The duration of this Having Difficult Conversations workshop in Philippines is 2 full days. Knowles Training Institute Philippines will also be able to contextualise this workshop according to different durations.
- 3 full days
- 2 full days · 9am to 5pm (standard)
- 1 day
- Half day
- 90 minutes
- 60 minutes
Delivered onsite at your premises, at an arranged venue, or live online.
Customisation
The programme can be contextualised to your organisation without diluting the core capability or depth of learning. Commonly adapted:
- Examples from your workplace and sector
- Activities based on real conversation scenarios
- Duration and depth of each topic
- Participant level and mix of roles
- Action plans aligned to your objectives
Facilitator matching
We match the facilitator to your audience and context rather than assigning whoever is free. We consider:
- The seniority and mix of the group
- Your industry and working environment
- The delivery format and language of the session
- The specific outcomes you have asked for
A pre-course consultation is held before delivery so the content lands on the day.
What participants receive.
Each participant will receive the following materials for the Having Difficult Conversations course in Philippines.
Learner’s Guide
A workbook covering the full course content, used during the session and kept afterwards.
Course Handouts
Exercises, templates and reference sheets used in the practical activities.
Presentation Slides
The slide deck used during the course, provided for later reference.
Certification of Completion
Each course participant will receive a certification of training completion.
Included with every booking, at no additional charge.
Pricing and investment.
There are 4 pricing options available for this Having Difficult Conversations course in Philippines. Course participants not in Philippines may choose to sign up for our online Having Difficult Conversations training course.
What’s included
- Pre-course consultation
- Customised content, where applicable
- Facilitator and training materials
- Venue or virtual delivery
- Post-course follow-up, where applicable
Real results. Trusted by leading organisations.
What our participants say
Written feedback published on our Knowles Training Institute reviews page.
Good if can also tailor to the level of participants in the workshop (similar to how it was conducted today). The trainer is very flexible!
It’s a great session with Karan, really appreciate the well-planned training materials and his facilitating skills.
I was totally engaged in his training and was able to pick up the theoretical information from his excellent communication skill.
Why organisations choose us
Everything you need to know before you enrol.
Something not covered here? Add it to your enquiry and we will answer it directly.
Who is this course designed for?
Managers, team leaders, HR professionals, supervisors, executives, people managers and team members who need to address sensitive workplace issues or hold challenging discussions.
What are the learning objectives of this course?
Participants learn to identify when a difficult conversation is needed, prepare the purpose and message, communicate concerns clearly, listen actively, respond to emotion and resistance, handle disagreement, and agree practical follow-up.
Do participants need any prior experience?
No. The programme is pitched at foundation to intermediate level and works well for participants with different levels of experience in handling difficult workplace conversations.
What is the duration of the course?
Standard delivery is 2 full days, 9am to 5pm. We can also contextualise the workshop to 3 full days, 1 day, half day, 90 minutes or 60 minutes.
Is the programme available online?
Yes. We deliver interactive, facilitator-led virtual sessions with the same activities, discussion and practice as the in-person format.
Can this course be customised for our organisation?
Yes. We can adapt examples, terminology, activities, duration and action plans to your industry, roles and workplace conversation scenarios.
What is the group size for this course?
Group sizes run from a minimum of 1 participant to a maximum of 25. Smaller groups allow more individual attention, and the format stays interactive at every size.
Will participants receive a certificate on completion?
Yes. Each course participant will receive a certification of training completion.
What training methodology do you use?
An active learning approach: short facilitator inputs, real examples, small-group practice, application to your own workplace situations, and structured reflection.
Will we receive course materials?
Yes. Each participant receives a learner’s guide, course handouts and the presentation slides used during the course, plus a certification of training completion.
Is there any pre-course preparation?
No formal pre-work is required. We do hold a pre-course consultation with you to understand your goals and context so the content lands well on the day.
Is there post-course support?
Yes. Participants keep all resources, and we provide post-course follow-up where applicable to help sustain application back at work.
Can the course be delivered at our workplace?
Yes. We deliver onsite at your premises in the Philippines, or at an arranged venue that we can recommend for you.
What are the technical requirements for online training?
A stable internet connection, a device with a camera and microphone, and access to the video platform agreed in advance. We share joining details and run a quick check beforehand.
How much does the course cost?
There are four options: USD 679.97 for a 60-minute lunch talk session, USD 259.97 per participant for a half day, USD 419.97 per participant for 1 day and USD 569.97 per participant for 2 days. Group discounts of up to 40% are available.
When is the next available date?
Contact us for the latest Having Difficult Conversations course in Philippines schedules. Email [email protected] or send an enquiry using the form on this page.
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Available across the Philippines.
Our corporate training course is also available in the cities and provinces below. We deliver onsite at your premises, at an arranged venue, or live online wherever your team is based.
- Quezon City
- Manila
- Davao City
- Caloocan
- Cebu City
- Zamboanga City
- Taguig
- Antipolo
- Pasig
- Cagayan de Oro
- Parañaque
- Valenzuela
- Bacoor
- General Santos
- Makati
- Dasmariñas
- Las Piñas
- Mandaluyong
- Bacolod
- Muntinlupa
- Angeles
- Baguio
- San Jose del Monte
- Tarlac City
- Calamba
- Malolos
- Santa Rosa
- Iligan
- Marikina
- Navotas
- Boracay (Aklan)
- Palawan (Puerto Princesa City)
- Bohol (Tagbilaran City)
- Siargao (Surigao del Norte)
- Coron (Palawan)
- Vigan (Ilocos Sur)
- Sagada (Mountain Province)
- Batangas (Batangas City)
- Batanes (Basco)
- Dumaguete (Negros Oriental)
From enquiry to delivery.
You will always know what happens next, and nothing is committed until you have seen the scope and the cost.
- STEP 01
Send your enquiry
Tell us your dates, numbers and preferred format using the form below.
- STEP 02
Pre-course consultation
We discuss your goals, audience and context so the content fits.
- STEP 03
Receive a proposal
Scope, schedule and quotation, with time to consider before agreeing.
- STEP 04
Confirm and prepare
Dates locked, materials prepared and the facilitator matched to your group.
- STEP 05
Deliver and follow up
The course runs, and post-course follow-up sustains it back at work.
Ready to invest in your team?
Fill up the form and we will get back to you in less than 1 working day. Alternatively, give us a call to have one of our training consultants contact you. Our corporate training courses can be contextualised to meet your organisation’s training needs.
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We’re here to help
Ask about dates, delivery formats, group sizes or a customised version of this course for your organisation. A training consultant will come back to you directly.
KNOWLES TRAINING INSTITUTE · PHILIPPINES