“The dilemma: avoid or confront, it seems there is no good path.”—Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen, Difficult Conversations
Early in my career, just saying “no” was a struggle for me.
Even in my close relationships, I struggled to speak up. If a friend asked me to go out and I didn’t feel like it, I would make an excuse (that may or may not have been true) rather than simply respond with, “No thanks, I’m staying home tonight.”
It took me years to unpack the reasons behind that knee-jerk response, and realize it went way deeper than a casual “yes/no.” My personal history and first-family dynamics left me so afraid of facing disappointment or disapproval from other people that I would rather make excuses than risk conflict. So I defaulted to patterns of avoidance in my conversations.
Then while working in finance, I started noticing this in the people around me.
Age and seniority didn’t seem to matter. Regardless of position, most people I encountered would find any excuse to avoid conflict, disagreement, or offering criticism. Many were anxious to speak up at all if there was a chance of conflict, regardless of the importance of the topic.
Fast-forward a couple of decades, and the topic of avoidant communication kept popping up. My clients would tell me, “I know what I want to say, but I never seem to get there.”
My workshop on “How to Have Difficult Conversations” became one of my most popular offerings. Which got me thinking, “How can I make this content more easily and readily accessible to everyone?”
Finally, this year I’m doing just that.
I’m excited to announce my new, soon-to-be-released video series—a self-paced, easy-to-digest course that delves into more than just how to have tough conversations and touches on many different aspects of communication challenges.
Introducing: Confident Communication at Work
If you overthink, shut down, second-guess yourself, or hold back in important conversations… this course was designed with you in mind.
Confident Communication at Work will help you build confidence through both mindset shifts and daily practices in five, easy-to-digest modules and a self-paced format:
- Module #1: Identify the thought patterns behind the avoidance
- Module #2: Learn to separate fact from fiction when making language choices
- Module #3: Understand communication defaults and how to practice active listening
- Module #4: Become more direct and clear in written communications
- Module #5: Integrate all of the tools from the course and apply them in real time
The modules are accompanied by practical learning tools and worksheets designed to help you apply the concepts in real-world situations—not just understand them intellectually.
Because confident communication is built by increasing awareness, practicing participation, and learning how to communicate clearly even when discomfort, uncertainty, or pressure are present.
This course was built from years of coaching, speaking, and leading workshops on communication. You’ll find all of the modules are video-based, can be watched in less than 15 minutes, and give you tools you can start using right away (so it won’t live on your to-do list for months while you try to make time for it).
I’m currently in the middle of filming, and can’t wait to share the finished series with you soon.
I still remember all those times I was afraid to say “no,” when self-doubt shaped how I communicated, and approval from others mattered more than my own voice.
The practices in this course helped me change that.
And now, I’m sharing them with you.
With consistent practice, these tools can help you communicate with more clarity, confidence, and self-trust.
So that when you’re in a meeting months—or even years—from now, and you know what you want to say…
…you can say it. Clearly. Confidently. And without abandoning yourself in the process.
