Crucial Conversations

alt="Collage of people of different ages and ethnicities having difficult conversations at home and in the workplace

Crucial Conversations: Turn Disagreement into Dialogue

Crucial conversations take place in every organization, every day. These are conversations with high stakes, differences of opinions, and strong emotions. Conversations like:

  • Talking to a coworker who behaves offensively
  • Increasing team communication and productivity
  • Helping a direct report to improve their performance
  • Giving the boss feedback about their behavior
  • Helping stakeholders understand compliance efforts
  • Repairing strained relationships

Get the Skills to Speak Up When It Matters Most

A smiling African-American woman talking to a man.

Whether they take place at work or home, with your supervisor or peers, crucial conversations can profoundly impact your career, happiness, and future. These conversations lead to strained relationships and poor results when mishandled or ignored.

Crucial Conversations® is a course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics – at all levels of an organization. When you learn the 14 specific skills on how to speak and be heard, you will be able to:

  • Prepare for high-impact situations.
  • Make it safe to talk about almost anything.
  • Be persuasive, not abrasive.
  • Keep listening when others blow up or clam up.

Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want.

Discover Your Communication Style Under Stress

Before enrolling, consider how you naturally respond to tough conversations. Take the free Style Under Stress Assessment to identify your communication patterns and see how Crucial Conversations can help you improve. Takes 5 minutes. Return here to explore the workshop.

Take the Assessment

After completing the Crucial Conversations program

3 out of 4
felt confident resolving disagreements between themselves, individuals, teams, or stakeholders.

91%
felt prepared to have healthy and respectful discussions, even when tensions are high.​

92% 
said they could create an environment where others feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Participant Testimonial

"Since completing Crucial Conversations, I try to listen more with the intent to understand where the other person is coming from and what their needs are. When stuck in a conversation, I try to step away, reflect, and think about the best approach to tackle an issue to gain a mutual and positive outcome."

—U of A Employee

Registration Process: Enroll Yourself or A Group

Course Cost: $331 per person*

Eligibility: You must be a current University of Arizona employee to enroll in this course.

For group registration: Build shared language and acquire powerful tools for your team. To enroll four or more people, please email hr-learnanddevelop@arizona.edu before registering. 

*The university subsidizes 83% of the program cost.

  Register Now

Preview the Approach

How Do I Start a Crucial Conversation?

Learn practical strategies for initiating high-stakes conversations with confidence.

How to Have a Virtual Crucial Conversation

Navigate difficult discussions effectively in remote and hybrid work environments.

How to Address Your Concerns with a Difficult Coworker

How to mentally prepare to talk to this person in an open, clear way, and gets results.

Questions & Support 

Questions about Payment and Course Materials

Technical Difficulties