An extremely important skill for supervisors to learn is how to confront difficult situations. Difficult conversations, in this context, are topics that you may find challenging to discuss, such as addressing performance or behavior issues of an employee or discussing delicate work-related issues with your manager. People are often reluctant to open a difficult conversation out of fear of potential consequences. This course addresses the underlying issues that make these conversations especially uncomfortable and demanding, how to prepare yourself to have them, and how to confront the other person effectively. Face your fears of conflict and reduce your anxiety about the tough discussions you know you need to have with others. Based upon the best-selling book Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.

LEAD: Leading at UofSC and Writing Position Descriptions is the prerequisite and should be taken first.

Who Should Attend
LEAD courses are required for University supervisors of faculty and staff, per HR Policy 1.51, and for HR Contacts. Non-Supervisors will automatically be removed from the course.

Nathan Strong is the Director of Organizational Development, Division of Human Resources.

Employees should cancel their registration if they are unable to attend. Participants leaving early, during LEAD or any certificate courses, will not receive credit for attending. If there is an emergency, please notify the instructor.

In consideration of other attendees, we ask that you respect the following guidelines:

Perfumes and Cologne and Other Items with Fragrances

Attendees are asked to refrain from using, wearing, or bringing scented products and materials to training classes. Personal care products such as cologne, perfume, aftershave lotions, scented lotions, and fragranced hair products may cause headaches, upper respiratory symptoms, shortness of breath, and difficulty with concentration in persons with asthma or allergies.

Service and Therapy Animals

The University of South Carolina is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities and fulfilling obligations under State and Federal Law. Persons with disabilities are permitted to bring service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to training programs.

Emotional support animals, therapy animals, and companion animals are not permitted in training classes, except in cases where such animals have been explicitly approved by your supervisor or home department as an accommodation.

Individuals who are attending training classes who are allergic to, or have concerns about, service or therapy animals are encouraged to notify the Office of Organizational and Professional Development in advance of the training to ensure adequate space is provided to mitigate contact with such animals.

The Office of Organizational and Professional Development is committed to providing access to all individuals attending training courses. Please let us know if you require any specific accommodations as a result of a disability by emailing us at hrtrain@mailbox.sc.edu.