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Want your team to give better feedback, handle conflict skillfully, and speak up without fear? These workshops teach people how to have hard conversations — without blowing up, shutting down, or spiraling into tension.
Whether you're leading a team or launching a product, communication is your culture. My book, We Need to Talk, and these sessions give you the frameworks to make it healthier.
What People Say #
These sessions have helped first-time managers and seasoned leaders alike.
Joshua’s workshop really took some potentially painful situations and made them smooth and easy!
– Rad Summit Attendee
This should be required for every person at any company.
– OnDeck 2022 Cohort Attendee
Your workshop is the main reason I came to this conference.
– Rad Summit Attendee
Joshua’s workshop was really helpful for my new leadership role in my company!
– Productized Masterclass Attendee
Speaking & Workshop Offerings #
These offerings are built around the core ideas in We Need to Talk, and are designed to help teams shift from tension to trust.
Most teams treat conflict like a fire to put out. The best teams learn how to work with it. These workshops give your team tools to handle difficult conversations, give feedback that actually lands, and collaborate with less friction.
Participants will learn how to:
- Navigate hard conversations without escalating them
- Use practical, equitable tools to resolve tension
- Foster a feedback-rich culture where teams grow, not spiral
All workshops are available in-person or online. Each session is interactive, practical, and tailored to your team’s needs.
| Format | Participants | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intro Talk | – | 60 minutes with Q&A |
| Half-Day | 4 – 40 | Hands-on facilitation (4 hrs) |
| Full-Day | 4 – 80 | Deep dive into key concepts |
| Multi-Day | 20 – 100 | Modular, multi-team sessions |
Sample Full-Day Agenda #
Here’s what a typical full-day session might look like. The agenda can flex based on your team’s needs.
Morning #
- Welcome & Framing (30 min)
- Why this workshop exists, what it’s really about
- Quick personal story about conflict
- How our brains perceive difficult conversations
- Getting Clear (75 min)
- Icebreaker: What’s one thing we should read, watch, or cook?
- How to identify your role, intentions, and mindset
- Hanlon’s Razor, cranky conclusions, and emotional honesty
- Partner exercises to explore real-world tensions
- Mapping the Conflict (75 min)
- How to separate facts from conclusions
- Why starting with observation, not accusation, changes everything
- Framing your message clearly and non-defensively
- Exercises: Writing your story and clarifying your goals with a partner
Afternoon #
- Safety & Strategy (90 min)
- Building psychological safety: the “safety spectrum”
- Establishing shared purpose and boundaries
- Structuring a conversation: facts → conclusions → goals → opening
- Reflecting techniques (echoing, labeling, summarizing)
- Writing and testing your own opening lines and questions
- Real-World Practice (90 min)
- Roleplay: real scenarios, real feedback
- Tools for tricky dynamics (e.g., gaslighting, power imbalances, cultural context)
- Peer coaching: observe, guide, and reflect
- What worked? What felt off? What surprised you?
- Q&A + Integration (30 min)
- Applying this work to your leadership, feedback culture, and team dynamics
- Closing commitments: What will you try next time things get tough?
- Cheat sheet and office hours info
Looking to bring this to your team?
I work with startups, product orgs, HR leaders, and mission-driven companies across the world. Let’s talk about what would make the biggest impact for you.
Selected Videos #
Previous Events #
Print Appearances #
- Type, Form & Function – Jason Tselentis, Rockport Publishing
- Project Management for Designers – HOW Magazine
- Six Seconds or Less (PRINT Magazine)
- Notifications stress me out. (CBC Radio)