Encouraging Honest Conversations at Work

If meetings end in agreement but nothing changes, silence may be why. Learn to invite honest input so people feel safe speaking up.

When people stay quiet, it’s often interpreted as agreement - but it may signal concern, uncertainty, or disengagement.

This workshop explores why people hold back at work and what leaders can do to encourage more open and constructive dialogue. You’ll learn how to recognise different types of silence and respond in ways that support genuine engagement rather than surface-level compliance.

This is the second in the workshop series “When Conversations Go Sideways”. The series is designed to strengthen everyday leadership conversations. This workshop focusses on the impact of the leader in conversations.

You can book this workshop on its own or as part of the series.

By attending this workshop, you’ll leave with:

• The ability to recognise and respond to different types of silence
• Practical strategies for encouraging honest input
• A clearer understanding of productive disagreement
• An action plan to improve candour in one real work context
• Suggestions for further development on-the-job

This webinar will be particularly useful if you:

• Lead or manage others and conversations don’t always land as intended
• Need to give feedback or resolve issues at work
• Want to keep important conversations productive under pressure

Workshop Series

Workshop 1 Staying Effective in Challenging Conversations (26 May)

Workshop 2 Encouraging Honest Conversations at Work (9 June)

Workshop 3 Difficult Conversations That Need to Happen (23 June)

Workshop 4 Putting it into Practice (participants in the series will be sent an invite to this workshop on 18 June)

About the Facilitator & Workshop Designer: Leonie Black of Cadence Consulting

Leonie is the principal consultant of Cadence Consulting, specialising in leadership development and organisational capability.

She works with leaders at all levels but has a particular passion for the people in the middle: team leaders and managers navigating the competing demands of their teams, their organisations, and their own development.

Known for making complex ideas practical and accessible, Leonie translates research into tools and approaches that leaders can use immediately.

This session draws on her work helping leaders understand what's really happening in their toughest conversations and build the skills to handle them better.