COURAGEOUS CANDOR

Speak honestly and listen responsibly so you can have difficult conversations with clarity, courage, and respect.

Overview

Every team has difficult conversations. Missed expectations, unclear standards, performance concerns, tension, and disagreement are all part of working with other people. How those conversations are handled can either build trust and accountability or create defensiveness, avoidance, and resentment. Courageous Candor gives your team a clear, practical way to say what needs to be said without making the conversation harder than it has to be. Participants learn how to recognize their own reactive patterns, reset be- fore responding, and speak with honesty, courage, and respect. This workshop helps teams address real issues more directly, listen more responsibly, and turn difficult con- versations into opportunities for clarity, growth, and stronger working relationships.

Who this program is right for

Teams that want a fun, high-energy adventure with a meaningful take-away.
Groups that need to strengthen adaptability, communication, and creativity.
Organizations seeking to highlight the dangers of siloed thinking.

Goals & Outcomes

Clarity: Recognize reaction patterns that derail difficult conversations.

Growth: Address important issues before they become bigger problems.

Structure: A simple framework to prepare, speak clearly, and agree on next steps.

Respect: Listen responsibly while preserving trust and dignity.

Agenda & Activities

Pre-event Consult (30 minutes) The team leader and facilitator review the group’s needs, current challenges, and desired out-comes to ensure a successful program.

Welcome & Warm-Ups (10 minutes) Atlanta Challenge staff welcome participants, set expectations, and create a comfortable environment for honest, useful conversation.

Opening Partner Chat (10 minutes) Participants identify a specific conversation or issue they have avoided, delayed, or handled less effectively than they wanted. This gives the workshop immediate relevance and creates a practical focus for the session.

The Courageous Candor Model (20-25 minutes) We introduce the three-step model: Recognize, Reset, Respond. Participants learn how difficult conversations shift when people move from reactive habits into more intentional, respectful communication.

Recognizing Reaction Mode (30-40 minutes) Participants explore the common patterns that cause conversations to break down, including arguing, avoiding, forcing, deflecting, pleasing, or shutting down. They identify their own patterns and how those patterns affect others.

Reset Before Responding (20-30 minutes) Participants practice simple reset tools that help them slow down, regain perspective, and choose a better response before the conversation escalates.

Responding with Courageous Candor (35-45 minutes) The group learns how to advocate for excellence, progress, stability, and support. These approaches help participants be direct without being harsh, supportive without being vague, and clear without becoming defensive.

The 30-Second Conversation Builder (20-30 minutes) Participants use a simple planning tool to prepare for a real conversation. They clarify the purpose, name the behavior, identify the standard, and decide on the next step.

Application Practice (20-30 minutes) Participants work individually or in pairs to prepare one real conversation using the Courageous Candor model. The focus is on saying what needs to be said while taking responsibility for tone, timing, and impact.

Closing Debrief & Golden Nugget Exercise (10-15 minutes) Each participant shares their top insight and one action item with several people. This reinforces the learning, creates gentle accountability, and encourages support after the workshop.

Post-event Leader Consult (20-30 minutes) The facilitator talks with the team leader to share insights and suggestions for maintaining momentum after the program.

Virtual Group Follow-up (45-60 minutes) Approximately one month after the event, the facilitator hosts a virtual follow-up session to review key concepts, answer questions, discuss best practices, and support continued application.

Details

Length

3-4 hours

Venue

Indoor meeting room or virtual

Group Size

5-500 people

Includes

✓ Pre-event assessment
✓ Professional facilitation
✓ Impactful discussions
✓ Application exercises
✓ Research-based materials
✓ Digital review materials
✓ 30-Day follow up-with group

“We were at a point where conflict had ruined our team, but through these
activities we saw how we could use it to help us.”

APS

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