Easier Conversations
Online Course
Don’t let your ability to communicate effectively hold you back in your career. Take the angst out of difficult and awkward conversations to help you do your job better.
Have you ever:
⛌ Felt ill-equipped to help a colleague with a decision or problem?
⛌ Had a conversation with a colleague that felt hard and/or unproductive?
⛌ Moaned to a friend about the behaviour of a colleague without knowing what to say to them directly?
⛌ Avoided having a conversation with a direct report about their performance, hoping the situation will resolve itself?
⛌ Felt unsure about how to respond to unsolicited feedback, or an unreasonable request at work?
⛌ Felt nervous about meeting and talking to new people at a networking event?
High performing teams need good communication to operate. While very few of us enjoy participating in difficult conversations, there are simple techniques that anyone can learn that will make every conversation at work (and maybe even at home!) easier.
Introducing the Easier Conversations course
Easier Conversations is a six week online course where you’ll learn 10 key skills that you can mix and match to make every conversation easier.
In this course, you will work with a buddy (you can sign up with a friend or colleague, or we can assign you a buddy) to learn.
What is it?
A structured skill building course for actuaries wanting to learn the key micro and macro skills required for effective verbal communication at work. The course includes:
Five modules of self paced theory content and video examples to help you learn the key skills of effective verbal communication
Activities to practise your new skills with a buddy and in the real world (don’t worry, others don’t need to know what you are doing!)
Structured role plays around real scenarios you are likely to encounter in your career that you will complete in a safe 1:1 environment to practise your verbal communication skills.
Assessment at the end of the course to test what you’ve learned across a range of scenarios and receive feedback to help you improve. (Optional for on-demand offering.)
Who is it for?
✔ Anyone who wants to improve their verbal communication toolkit to have better conversations with more impact.
✔ New people managers, as well as analysts and recently qualified actuaries wanting improve their impact in the workplace.
✔ Actuaries Institute members can claim 3 points per hour of learning as CPD.
What will I learn?
You will learn vital skills to communicate effectively at work. Think about the confidence of being able to:
✔ Give constructive feedback without destroying confidence,
✔ Have an effective but difficult conversation with a client, and
✔ Talk to your team so they want to follow and do the work!
These are the types of scenarios we zero on and make sure you can tackle them with confidence.
Course Outline
The course consists of three stages, which build on each other:
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In the first module you will learn how to apply a listening mindset to familiar conversations.
We will cover the first three micro skills that are key to effective listening:
Minimals
Silence
Reflection
You will learn how to use each of these skills and practise these skills in everyday conversations (with people who may not even realise you are doing your homework!) as well as through role play examples.
These scenarios may include:
Familiar conversations with family and friends
Social conversations
You will complete a role play using and everyday type conversation and record the details and your reflections about this in your logbook.
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The second module includes two modules where you will learn how to set an objective and how to use different styles for for workplace conversations.
We will revise the three micro skills from module 1, and learn three more micro skills:
Body Language
Summarising
Questioning
You will learn how to use each of these additional skills and will practise these skills in conversations at work (your colleagues won’t even need to know what you are doing!) as well as through role play examples.
Conversations with close colleagues as well as colleagues / clients you don’t know as well
Delegation
Regular catch-ups
Project updates
Coaching / mentoring conversations
You will complete and log role plays using:
Work conversation with a teammate, and
Work conversation with a new colleague
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The final stage includes two modules where you will bring the skills together for more challenging workplace conversations.
We will revise the six micro skills from modules 1 and 2, and we will learn four more micro skills:
Focussing
Containing
Grounding
Facilitating Options
You will learn how to use each of these additional skills and practise these skills through a series of structured role play examples.
Conversations with close colleagues as well as people outside your team Change in project scope
Managing poor performance
Handling an unexpected difficult conversation
You will complete roleplays using:
Complex work conversation with a teammate, and
Complex work conversation with a client or superior
You will be assessed on one of these conversations.
About the program lead
Julia Lessing
Julia is a qualified actuary (FIAA) with nearly 20 years of consulting experience. She worked as a big 4 consultant for over a decade and has run her own consulting business since 2015, working with clients such as NSW Government, QLD Government, the UN and Macquarie University. Julia has trained and served for many years in various counselling roles, including serving as a telephone crisis supporter for Lifeline. She is leading a mission to foster forward-thinking leaders in the actuarial industry and runs the Guardian Actuarial Leadership Program to help actuaries build their management toolkits and leadership skills.
A shy child and the “quiet girl” at school, Julia has always been more comfortable listening than talking. After training as a counsellor, Julia realised that there are concrete skills that anyone can learn to have easier conversations. She has used these skills to help take the angst out of countless workplace conversations and she has taught these skills to others so they too can have easier workplace conversations that are more effective and less stressful.
“Well worth the time and effort. Lots to be learnt from the course content, and a great opportunity to meet new faces!”
Varun Sundar
2022 Program Graduate
FAQS
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After reviewing each module, you will have exercises to complete to practise the new skills you’ve learned. You and your buddy will meet (in person, or virtually – it’s up to you to arrange the timing and location) each week for five weeks and work together to practise these new skills in a safe environment. You will record the details in your Role Play Logbook which will form part of your assessment.
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Not at all – we can assign you with a buddy to work with. What a great way to network with some other actuaries!
If you are completing the on-demand offering, you can ask a colleague to sign up and work with you. Alternatively you can work with a friend, neighbour or partner who isn’t enrolled but willing to have some practice conversations with you.
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Yes, you can register with a friend or colleague that you’d like to work with and you can be each other’s buddy for the program.
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After completing the five modules, you will submit your Role Play Logbook and you will complete one assessed role play. You and your buddy will attend a one hour Zoom session with Julia to complete your assessed role play. After practising your role plays throughout the course this will be an extension of the work you have already done.
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Role plays can feel very awkward, but the best way to learn how to have easier conversations is to practise the new skills with another person. Finding your own words to use in different situations and practising these aloud makes it much easier to use them when you need to at work.
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About 1 – 2 hours a week of watching material and practising the role plays.
“The program provides very common sense but practical skills to enhance any conversation, whether in or out of the workplace. The material is highly engaging and digestible.”
Amanda Aitken
2022 Program Graduate
Ready to have easier workplace conversations?
There are a few options for you to complete this course:
Access Easier Conversations on demand and learn at your own pace.
Get your team together for a tailored offering online or in your office.
Complete the first three modules as a one-day in-person workshop in your office, followed by online delivery of the final two modules and assessment.
Grab a buddy and complete the program privately with your coach.