An overview of practical strategies for navigating high-stakes, emotionally charged workplace conversations with clarity, confidence, and professionalism.
Included with our Passes – Learn more
Charmaine Hammond
November 17, 2026 at 12:00pm EST
$100
2 hours
Attend Live Online and On-Demand Recording
Difficult conversations are an unavoidable reality for HR professionals—often arising in high-stakes situations involving performance, discipline, conflict, investigations, accommodation, and terminations. Managing Difficult Conversations in the Workplace for HR Professionals provides practical, evidence-based communication tools to help HR navigate these moments with clarity, professionalism, and psychological safety.
Participants will learn how to apply structured communication frameworks, recognize and manage emotional triggers, de-escalate tense interactions, redirect defensive or unproductive dialogue, and support leaders who must deliver challenging messages. This training combines real-world HR scenarios, guided analysis, and hands-on practice to build confidence and competence in handling conversations where emotions are high and the risks are significant.
Designed specifically for HR practitioners, managers, and people leaders, this workshop strengthens the skills needed to communicate effectively, maintain neutrality, and prevent conflict escalation—leading to more productive, fair, and legally defensible workplace interactions.
• Course objectives
• Why difficult conversations occur in HR environments
• High-stakes scenarios: discipline, performance, investigations, accommodation, conflict, terminations
• Impact of emotions, power dynamics, and organizational context
• Core terminology for difficult and high-stakes conversations
• Overview of communication models: C.L.E.A.R. and the 4C approach (Clear, Concise, Calm, Considered)
• Distinguishing facts from emotions
• Understanding escalation patterns
• Miscommunication, assumptions, and cognitive bias
• Emotional reactivity and defensive responses
• How conflict escalates in real workplace scenarios
• HR’s role in preventing amplification of conflict
• Recognizing personal triggers
• Techniques to remain composed under pressure
• Regulating tone, pace, and body language
• Modeling calm, neutral, and professional communication
• Tools to slow, stabilize, and redirect heated conversations
• Preventing further audience involvement or escalation
• Supporting leaders who must deliver difficult messages
• Assessing when to pause, postpone, or escalate to formal processes
• Using the C.L.E.A.R. model to structure conversations
• Applying the 4C approach in live dialogue
• Shifting others from defensive to collaborative communication
• Keeping discussions focused on relevant information
• Performance concerns
• Investigations and fact-finding discussions
• Return-to-work and accommodation conversations
• Terminations and high-emotion situations
• Group analysis: What went wrong? What would improve the outcome?
• Short role-play exercises
• Rewriting problematic dialogue into effective phrasing
• Identifying opportunities for early intervention
Taking more than one HR course?
Certified Speaking Professional, MA in Conflict Management & Analysis and bestselling author
Charmaine Hammond, MA, CSP, is one of Canada’s most respected experts in conflict resolution, communication, and workplace relationship management. With more than 25 years of experience as a corporate dispute-resolution specialist, mediator, and trainer, Charmaine has taught thousands of HR professionals and leaders how to navigate high-stakes conversations with clarity, confidence, and psychological safety.
A Certified Speaking Professional—a designation held by only 65 speakers in Canada—Charmaine is known for her practical, “no-fluff” approach to communication, de-escalation, and trust-building. Her background as a Correctional Officer, mediator, and corporate consultant gives her unmatched insight into handling emotionally charged or complex workplace interactions.
Charmaine has trained professionals across government, health care, technology, policing, and major Canadian corporations including Staples Canada, Hyundai, Bell, and the RCMP. Her actionable strategies, evidence-based tools, and engaging teaching style make her an ideal instructor for HR practitioners looking to strengthen their ability to manage difficult conversations effectively and professionally.
Have questions? We’re here to help. Check out our FAQs to learn more about this Course.
Absolutely. Every LPEN course is recorded, and the recording is added to your account within a few business days. You can log in anytime to watch it on demand and still receive your digital certificate of completion.
LPEN seeks accreditation for each course from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and the Law Society of Ontario (LSO),the Law Society of BC (LSBC) when applicable. Accreditation details and approved CPD hours are listed in the CPD Credits section on each course page, so you can easily confirm how the course qualifies toward your professional development requirements.
A digital certificate of completion will be available once the course recording has been uploaded. After that, you can follow the steps at the top of your My Courses page—where you’ll also find a short video explaining how to download your certificate. Be sure to save it as part of your documentation for your CPD hours.
This course may be included in one or several LPEN Passes. Passes offer discounted rates and access to multiple courses, making CPD compliance simpler. Check out our Passes page to see where it is included.
You don’t need to create an account separately. When you register for a course or pass, an account is automatically created during checkout. You’ll be asked to enter your email address and set a password—these will be your login details for future access.
Don’t miss the chance to join one of our upcoming courses!
Join 10,000+ Professionals and get courses updates, news and free premium content and videos.
