Our Flagship Program

THE COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION PROGRAM

A leadership culture program for managers and team leads | Delivered in person | Aspire Executive Coaching

The problem most organizations don't name clearly enough

Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a leader has. It's also one of the most consistently avoided. Project managers get promoted because they're technically excellent — but nobody teaches them how to have the conversations that come with the role. The result is a familiar pattern: difficult feedback gets delayed or diluted, team members don't know where they stand, and managers quietly carry the weight of conversations they haven't had.

This isn't a character flaw. It's a skills and culture gap — and it's fixable.

What the Courageous Conversation Program does

The Courageous Conversation Program builds the awareness, language, and confidence that project managers and team leads need to give and receive feedback effectively — not just once, in a training room, but consistently, in the moments that matter.

It works at two levels simultaneously. At the individual level, participants develop a clearer understanding of their own feedback patterns — what they avoid, why they avoid it, and what it costs them and their teams. At the organizational level, a shared language embeds across the group, so feedback stops being a personal style and starts becoming part of how the team operates.

How it works

The program is delivered in person in cohorts of up to ten people, designed to be intimate enough for honest conversation and practical enough to create real change.

Each cohort moves through three stages:

Foundation — A three-hour group workshop that establishes shared language, explores the psychology of feedback, and creates a safe environment for participants to examine their own patterns honestly.

Application — A second three-hour group workshop focused on practice. Participants work through real scenarios, role-play difficult conversations, and build the muscle memory that makes courageous conversations feel less daunting over time.

Integration — A focused 30-minute individual coaching session for each participant to reflect on their personal learning, work through the specific conversations they're navigating, and leave with a clear plan for how they'll show up differently.

What changes

Managers who complete the program begin having conversations they'd previously avoided. A common language embeds across the cohort. Teams experience a shift — feedback becomes less of an event and more of a habit. And because the program is designed to roll out across cohorts, the culture change compounds over time rather than staying with one group.

The Courageous Conversation Program has been delivered across organizations of up to 170+ people, with cohorts at every level from project managers to senior leaders.

Proven at Turner Fleischer Architects

"We truly appreciate her dedication, authenticity, and passion to deliver impactful training. Emma is always proactive, thoughtful, and flexible to pivot on the spot as needed to continuously improve the training outcome for our cohorts. Her approach of offering group workshops and individual 1:1 coaching allows participants to discuss and role play while bonding with their peers — and the individual coaching session helps to reflect and process their individual learning opportunities." — Nina Woock, People + Culture Business Partner, Turner Fleischer Architects

Ready to bring this to your organization?

Get in touch to discuss your cohort