The Supportive Conversation
Managers leave able to open the conversation they have been avoiding, and to close it with an agreed next step rather than an awkward silence.
At a glance
- Audience
- Anyone who manages people, at any level
- Duration
- Half day (3 hours)
- Format
- On-site across the Greater Toronto Area and southern Ontario, or virtual
- Group size
- Capped at 25 so everyone practises
- Price
- From $1,600 per half day. Virtual delivery priced lower.
What this covers
The conversation most managers avoid is the one where an employee is visibly struggling and nobody has named it. Managers practise a short, goal-directed structure that requires no diagnosis and no clinical knowledge, which is deliberate: a manager's job is to notice, respond, and refer, not to assess. The session spends most of its time on rehearsal rather than theory, because this fails in execution rather than in understanding.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this session, participants can:
- Open the conversation with an observation rather than a question, and know why that works better
- Run a short goal-directed exchange without asking for a diagnosis or a history
- Respond to a disclosure they were not expecting without freezing or over-promising
- State clearly what they can and cannot keep confidential, before the disclosure rather than after
- Close with one agreed next step and a date, and follow it up
- Refer to the organisation's own supports accurately, having checked what they actually cover
Session outline
| Time | Segment |
|---|---|
| 0–20 min | Why this gets avoided. The three fears managers report, and which are justified. |
| 20–55 min | Opening. Observation over interrogation, rehearsed until it sounds like the manager rather than a script. |
| 55–70 min | Break |
| 70–130 min | Practice labs. Full conversations in threes, with an observer and structured feedback. |
| 130–155 min | The unexpected disclosure. Confidentiality limits, and what not to promise. |
| 155–180 min | Referral and follow-up. Knowing what your own supports cover, and closing the loop. |
What participants receive
- A workbook including the conversation structure and the confidentiality script
- A certificate of completion showing contact hours
- A reference summary suitable for inclusion in the organisation's training records
What this is built on
This is a training session. It is not counselling, assessment, or treatment. Content draws on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Mental Health First Aid, and is aligned with CSA Z1003.
Request this program
Tell us your organization and roughly what you're working with. You'll get a reply within one business day.