How Confident Are You in Difficult Conversations?

Are you a leader, manager or supervisor responsible for guiding a team?

Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable giving constructive feedback?

Do you find yourself avoiding difficult conversations?

Do you struggle to find the right words when emotions or pressure are high?

Are you worried that saying the wrong thing could damage an important relationship?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re not alone.

These are some of the most common concerns I hear when speaking with leaders across organisations. Leaders care deeply about their people and want to maintain trust and positive relationships. But when a conversation involves conflict, performance issues, or challenging behaviour, many leaders hesitate.

In fact, nearly 70% of managers report feeling uncomfortable or lacking confidence when delivering tough feedback (SHRM, 2022).

At the same time, only 20% of employees strongly agree they receive meaningful feedback (Gallup, 2023). This gap highlights a reality many organisations are experiencing: important conversations are not happening as often or as effectively as they need to.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Having courageous, constructive conversations is a critical leadership capability. When leaders avoid these moments, small issues can grow into larger problems, misalignment between teams, unresolved tensions, reduced accountability, and declining performance.

The good news is that brave communication is a skill. And like any skill, it can be strengthened with the right focus and practice.

That’s why I’ve created the Brave Talk Scorecard: a short assessment designed to help you understand your current level of confidence and capability when navigating difficult conversations.

The scorecard explores three critical areas of brave communication:

Preparation

How you get ready before the conversation - planning your approach, anticipating challenges, and setting the right mindset.

Practice

How you develop & apply your skills - experimenting, rehearsing, and refining your approach so you feel more capable when it matters most.

Presence

How you show up in the moment - staying calm and composed, curious and adaptable, and fully engaged, even under pressure.

Whether you’re avoiding tough conversations, struggling to find the right words, or simply wanting to show up with more confidence and clarity, this scorecard will help you understand where you stand.

Start building more confidence and skill in difficult conversations.

Answer 15 quick questions about your current confidence and skill level when navigating difficult conversations. Your results will highlight what may be getting in the way and provide clear direction on how to move forward with greater ease and impact.

• It takes just 5 minutes

• It’s completely free

• You’ll receive customised results instantly

  
  

Take the Brave Talk Scorecard and discover how ready you are to lead the conversations that matter most.