Date and time

Tuesday 21 May 2024, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm

Delivery mode

In person at ISV, 40 Rosslyn St, West Melbourne

Audience 

Principal, Senior Leader, Teacher, All School Staff

Description

Looking to register more than one person? Contact us at isLearn to arrange a group discount for your school.

Join us for a day where we’ll quickly turn those tough conversations at school into something you can handle. Led by Andrew Fuller and Dr Stephen Brown, this masterclass is about making hard conversations much less daunting. You’ll learn how to connect and communicate your messages with less stress.

The ability to effectively communicate and build professional relationships are core capabilities for any leader. The Australian Institute of Management’s 2024 Whitepaper, Leadership Reimagined State of Australian Leadership, notes that communication ranked the most valuable leadership capability at 60 per cent of respondents. In the same survey in 2021, communication was rated at 42 per cent, second only to the related capability of emotional intelligence. The report notes:

“Ultimately, the common thread running through leadership skills is the ability to communicate effectively. And that means communicating well in different ways of working using different mediums and technologies” (AIM, 2024, p6).

Every day in schools and the diverse range of workplaces, people interact in and undertake a myriad of conversations, including, collaborative discussions, performance feedback, conflict resolution, social chit-chat, and task-related, to name a few.

Conversation is the basis of interaction, a foundational professional practice skill and a building block of an organisation’s culture. Effective leadership and effective communication are intertwined. Arguably, the best leaders are skilled communicators. Leadership communication inspires trust, positive change, and productive professional relationships when done well.

The Even Tricker Conversations Masterclass is designed to allow participants to deepen and refine their communication skills in an area of workplace practices that most people find particularly difficult. Participants will: profile their communication capabilities; consider the range and nature of professional and workplace conversations, explore the features of a quality conversation; understand the two main types of conversations and bridges; define ‘tricky conversations’?; use the CARE (Connect, Ask, Reassure and Empower) Model to deepen conversations; practice conversation skills in the room and to gain enhanced confidence in undertaking ‘tricky conversations using the RESOLVE ( Responding, Engaging, Seeking Understanding, Observing Feelings, Lower the Temperature, Value Adding and Empowering) methodology.

Key takeaways               

• learn high-impact effective communication skills
• strategies to respond and de-escalate tricky conversations
• understanding of ways to initiate tricky conversations to achieve greater outcomes for all
• tools for setting up conversations for change.

Presenter information

Andrew Fuller   

Andrew Fuller is a clinical psychologist, family therapist, author, speaker and creator of Learning Strengths™. Andrew has worked with over 3,000 schools in Australia, NZ Asia and the UK and with more than 5000,000 young people on core elements of resilience - connect, protect and respect (CPR) and building The Resilient Mindset. Andrew Fuller is a Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne and has been a scientific consultant for the ABC and a regular presenter on Radio National. He has established programs for neuroscience and education and the promotion of mental health in schools, substance abuse prevention, and the reduction of violence and bullying, suicide prevention programs and for assisting homeless young people.

Dr Stephen Brown         

Dr Stephen Brown has an international and national reputation as an outstanding CEO and leader in the field of education. thebrowncollective reflects both his collective experience over 30 years in policy, strategy and leadership—and that of the remarkable global network he has developed during this career.

To work with Stephen is to authentically experience the depth of his values and the height of his intellect. Wisdom, empathy, true collegiality and insight—all are generously offered, alongside his heartfelt commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of every client and their organisations.