Communication course Course 01 of 24

Handle the conversation you have been avoiding.

Start a difficult workplace conversation with a specific event, its effect on the work and a question about what happened. Then agree on a next step you can both describe. Practise the opening below before exploring the guided course.

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Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn

I want to handle difficult conversations at work without avoiding the real issue.

Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.

Two conversation shapes overlapping to show a clear exchange. — Communication **Difficult conversations at work**
30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.

Best for: Communication
Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites
Course length: 30 daily lessons
Lesson pace: About 10 minutes a day
Total learning time: About 5 hours in total
Access: Available on the App Store and Google Play, with an optional early testing list

An original website exercise

Write an opening that leaves room for an answer.

Use this fictional situation: a handover arrived after a deadline, leaving another teammate waiting. Prepare an opening without deciding in advance why the delay happened.

01

Describe the event

Replace "You never take deadlines seriously" with the particular handover and agreed time. Keep a pattern claim out unless you can support it.
02

Name the effect and ask

Explain what the delay changed for the work, then ask for the other person's account. An opening starts a conversation; it does not establish blame.
03

Make the next step concrete

After hearing the explanation, propose a practical adjustment, such as an earlier warning when a deadline is at risk. Check that the person can agree or suggest an alternative.

Worked example, not a learner result

The handover was due at 3 pm and arrived at 5 pm. The review had to move to tomorrow. What got in the way, and how could we flag a delay earlier next time?

Check that your version contains an observable event, a work effect and a real question. Remove words that assume intent. This is a practice scenario for ordinary work friction; a serious safety or misconduct concern may need a different reporting route.

Want a guided learning path? Start free in Cadence and look for Difficult Workplace Conversations, the in-app name for this course. This website exercise is an introduction, not an excerpt from an app lesson.

Right for now

If any of this sounds familiar, start here.

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.

You avoid hard topics

Practice naming the issue before resentment or confusion grows.

The room gets vague

Separate tone, intent, and personality from observable work impact.

You need a next step

Leave with a decision, owner, repair, or follow-up instead of a softer fog.

You manage laterally

Use clear language when you do not have direct authority.

Inside the course

Your first three days are already mapped.

The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.

Sharper diagnosis

Know whether the real problem is behavior, expectation, decision rights, or timing.

Lower-friction wording

Open with language that is direct without making the other person defend their identity.

Better repair moves

Recover when the conversation gets tense, circular, or too abstract.

Decision hygiene

End by making ownership, consequences, and follow-up visible.

Course preview 30 short lessons

Difficult Workplace Conversations

Day 1 Catch Yourself Avoiding the Issue

Recognize when discomfort is hiding the real workplace issue.

Day 2
Turn Labels Into a Discussable Issue

Turn labels into observable issues without dismissing respect, safety, or relationship harm.
Day 3
Tell Act-Now From Prepare-First

See which conversations need action now and which need preparation first.

Course arc

From vague intention to repeatable moves.

Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.

01 / 04

Recognize avoidance

Find the concrete work issue under polite delay and vague discomfort.

Prepare the sentence

Translate the issue into behavior, impact, and requested change.

Run the conversation

Handle pushback, emotion, and disagreement while staying specific.

Close the loop

Turn the discussion into a visible next step.

Full syllabus

30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.

Learn to name the real workplace issue, prepare a clear conversation, and keep it on track when emotions spike. You finish with a usable script and follow-through for one conversation you actually need to have.

Module 01

Spot the Avoidance

Identify when a conversation is drifting away from the real workplace issue.

Day 1 Catch Yourself Avoiding the Issue
Day 2 Turn Labels Into a Discussable Issue
Day 3 Tell Act-Now From Prepare-First
Day 4 Turn Frustration Into One Clear Ask
Day 5 Map Where the Talk Could Derail

Module 02

Pin Down the Real Problem

Turn vague frustration into a concrete issue, impact, and desired change.

Day 6 Checkpoint: Is Your Issue Specific?
Day 7 Link the Behavior to the Impact
Day 8 Lead With Facts, Not Motives
Day 9 Match Your Ask to the Problem
Day 10 Draft a One-Page Conversation Brief

Module 03

Open and Steer the Conversation

Build a grounded opening, ask useful questions, and keep the discussion on a workable issue.

Day 11 Open Directly Without Accusing
Day 12 Make the Stakes Land Fast
Day 13 Ask Questions That Move It Forward
Day 14 Keep the Talk On the Issue
Day 15 Draft Your Opening Script

Module 04

Handle Resistance Calmly

Respond to defensiveness, emotion, silence, and pushback without abandoning the issue or the relationship.

Day 16 Separate the Three Stories
Day 17 Own Contribution Without Taking All the Blame
Day 18 Handle Emotion and Identity Threat
Day 19 Use Silence Instead of Overtalking
Day 20 Rehearse the Full Conversation Live

Module 05

Repair, Boundaries, and Safe Escalation

Repair missteps, state limits you control, document outcomes, and choose a safer support path when needed.

Day 21 Checkpoint: Choose the Safe Path
Day 22 Repair a Message That Landed Wrong
Day 23 Set Boundaries You Can Enforce
Day 24 Lock In Agreements With a Follow-Up
Day 25 Know When Direct Talk Is Not the Tool
Day 26 Build Your End-to-End Plan

Module 06

Adapt, Rehearse, and Learn

Adapt the conversation across channels and power levels, rehearse it, and learn from the outcome.

Day 27 Adapt for Remote and Written Channels
Day 28 Rehearse a Power-Aware Conversation
Day 29 Review What Worked and What Stalled
Day 30 Your Difficult-Conversation Playbook

How learning works

Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.

Short daily lessons

Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.

Reading and audio

Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.

Checks when useful

Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.

Progress and support

Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.

Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.

Free to read first

Guides on the same skill.

Part of a career skill path

See the guides and related courses.

Course questions

What to know before you start.

Who is Difficult Workplace Conversations for?

Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the communication part of the Cadence course library.

Do I need any prior experience?

No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.

How long does the course take?

Difficult Workplace Conversations contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.

What is the learning format?

Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.

Does this course award a certificate or degree?

No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.

Start today

Day 1: Catch Yourself Avoiding the Issue

Get Cadence and type the sentence above when it asks what you want to learn, or choose Difficult Workplace Conversations ready-made under Browse starter courses. Day 1 is already written.