BSBCMM412 2

Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371
CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D

Sydney CBD Campus: Level 5, 303 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P 02 8959 6340 F 02 9955 3888
Sydney CBD Campus: Level 11, 307 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P 02 8034 6431
Canberra Campus: Suite 1, Level 4, 40 Cameron Avenue, Belconnen, ACT 2617 P 02 6253 5184
BSBCMM412 Lead difficult conversations

Project portfolio template
PROJECT
Contents
STUDENT VERSION
Section 1: Preparing to lead a difficult conversation 4
Section 2: Facilitating difficult conversations 12
BSBCMM412
LEAD DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS
Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371 CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D
Section 3: Reviewing your own effectiveness 18

Student name: Shashank Thumma
Assessor: Varun Choudhary
Date: 12/03/2023
Business that this Worlducation

assessment is based on:
Documentation reviewed as Simulation Pack, strategic plan, Policies and Procedures related to
preparation: finance, existing and new suppliers, Privacy, employee training and
development, internal and external communication, social
networking, and documentation.
Leadership role assumed by Technical Team Lead

student (e.g. Customer
Services manager):
Role of team that you will Overall monitoring of the Development and maintenance of
be leading: learning software and managing the technical team. Standing as a
communication bridge between technical and non-technical
stakeholders.
Description of difficult
conversations:
Conversation 1 Talking to an employee who is

not very satisfied by his
performance review despite of
his hard work.
Conversation 2 Talking to top level

management about an extend
to a very sharp deadline of new
features deliveries.
Assessor authorisation:
BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 3

Date:

Section 1: Preparing to lead a difficult conversation
Conversation 1
1. Define the conversation.
In order to meet the employee's expectations in a way that

Explain the conversation's
benefits the company and the employee, the purpose of this talk is
objectives and prerequisites.
to learn why the employee was dissatisfied with the most recent
performance review.
 Describe the
talk in general. The drivers for the conversation are:
 Email from a worker expressing dissatisfaction

 Mention your
goals for the  significant performance drop
talk, the
 Changes in behaviour that other team members
conversation's
purpose, and its have noticed and reported
motivating The objectives of this conversation are:
factors.
 Determining the employee's expectations
 Explain in your  Encourage the employee to participate in the employee
response why
evaluation programme.
it's critical to
comprehend the  planning for the future
conversation's
requirements.  preparing for a response
collecting and creating data The employee's progress data has been gathered from a variety of
and materials sources, including:
Explain the data you  Peer to peer performance feedback

acquired in order to be
 Supervisor feedback
prepared for the
conversation.Include:  Achievement against key performance indicators (KPIs)
 What data did you

This accurate and relevant information is gathered from following

policies and legislation:

gather, and how did
you gather it?  Performance management and planning
 How did you analyse  Employee training and development policy and procedures
the data (e.g., what
 Staff code of conduct
system did you employ?
How did you make sure  Performance assessment process
you depended on
reliable data from a
variety of internal and
external sources?
 How did the data you

gathered help with
your planning? How did
that influence your
planning?
 What materials or
information did you
have ready for the
other person?
Note: Make careful to cite

pertinent rules, procedures,
and laws in your response.
Include copies of the

materials you sent the other
person, pertinent policies
and processes, information
samples, links to references
and information sources,
links to pertinent legislation,
and applicable policies and
procedures to this portion
of your portfolio.
coordinating the Policies and procedures such as performance planning and

conversation's/logistics management, review and feedback, EAP, the Code of Conduct,
meeting's communication, and meetings are all pertinent. The employee will
receive an official written invitation to the meeting, which will take
Explain the mechanics of the
place in a private, quiet space. The meeting will take place after
talk or meeting that you
lunch on a non-busy mid-week day when there are no conflicts with

organised. any other crucial daily meetings. It will be a formal meeting that
lasts for around 30 minutes. The employee will have the chance to
Describe:
voice any questions or concerns, and after being heard and
 Your implementation of analysed, only the company's policies and processes will be
pertinent policies and reviewed in order to improve them.
procedures
 How and why did you let

the other person know
about the chat or
meeting?
 where and why you

decided to have the
conversation
 The conversation's
format and your
reasoning behind
choosing it
 the conversation's
time and your
justification.
In this section of your
portfolio, include any
pertinent letters and
paperwork, such as pertinent
policies and procedures, a
copy of your meeting
invitation, and any other
pertinent materials.
defining the conversation's The topic of discussion will be introduced at the outset of the talk.
subject The employee will be made aware that this dialogue is being
started to address any unhappiness with the most recent
Explain the format of your
performance review.
dialogue and its intended
substance. Additionally, the employee will be made aware that these reports
are based on the opinions and comments he received from his
Explain how you
peers, direct supervisors, performance planning, performance
characterised the
management, and other sources that were formally documented.
conversation's subject
matter.
Who did you ask for their

opinions and feedback? Why
did you decide to ask these
folks for advice?

Attach relevant notes and

correspondence to this
section of your Portfolio.
Attach: Information sources/references ☐
Policies and procedures ☐
Links to relevant legislation ☐
Materials provided to the other person ☐
Meeting invitation ☐
Relevant correspondence, notes and documentation ☐

Conversation 2
2. Define the conversation.
This conversation's goals are to request an extension for

Explain the conversation's
impending feature deliveries, explain why the extension is
objectives and prerequisites.
required, and outline when these deliveries might be anticipated.
Describe the talk in general. The discussion is motivated by:
 The irritation of the team members over the deadline's

Include: impossibility.
the conversation's  Team members are unable to devote enough time to

goals, challenges involving customer and production support.
 Less participation in employee training and development

the conversation's initiatives;
drives, and
 Less participation in employee training and development
your own goals for the initiatives;
dialogue.
The objectives of this conversation are:
In your answer, explain why  Negotiation on milestones with stakeholders.
 Setting future plan

it’s important to understand
 Making a follow up plan
the requirements of the
conversation.
Gathering and developing The information on the missed deadline has been gathered from a
information and materials variety of sources,
Describe the information including:

that you gathered in
 Client unhappiness with the problems that weren't
preparation for the
promptly resolved.
conversation.
 Staff behaviour policies and procedures, as well as
Include:
performance management planning and management.

 What information did  Team meets every day.

you collect and how did
you collect it?
The following laws and policies served as the source of this precise
 How did you analyse
and pertinent information:
the information (for
example, What system  Staff code of conduct;
did you use? How did  Performance management and planning;
you ensure that you
 Employee training and development policies and
relied on accurate
processes;
information from a
range of sources –
internal and external?
etc)
 How did the

information that you
collected inform your
planning? How did it
help guide your
preparation?
 What information or
material did you
prepare for the other
person?
Note: Ensure that you refer

to relevant policies,
procedures and legislation in
your answer.
Attach relevant policies and

procedures, information
samples, links to
information sources and
references, links to relevant
legislation and copies of the
material that you provided
to the other person to this
Organising the logistics of At a quiet, private conference room, the interested parties will be
the conversation/meeting invited via official meeting emails. The meeting will be held on
Monday about noon since the work week is just getting underway

Describe how you organised so that the results can be put into action that day and throughout
the logistics of the the week. Because that everyone's time is valuable, the meeting
conversation/meeting. will be kept as brief as possible by sending the majority of the
information through email prior to the meeting. Stakeholders will
Describe:
receive a brief presentation on the outstanding customer issues
 how you applied and other critical tasks with a new deadline that don't appear to
relevant policies and have enough time to be resolved because of the impending tight
procedures deadline.
 how you advised the After the presentation, the concerns of the stakeholders will be
other person of the taken into account, and it will be decided how much should be
conversation/meeting supplied upfront and which aspects may wait.
and why you chose that
strategy
 where you chose to

hold the conversation
and why
 the format for the

conversation and your
rationale for selecting it
 the timing of the

conversation and your
rationale.
Attach relevant policies and

procedures, a copy of your
meeting invitation and any
other relevant
correspondence and
documentation to this
Defining the content of the We'll start the dialogue by expressing regret for going to this
conversation length. The following information will be sent to stakeholders.
Describe the planned  Sorting out problems with current features and customer
content of your issues takes up 30% of each team member's daily time.
conversation and its
 The squad is currently only capable of 60 velocities, falling
structure.
short of the delivery expectation of 80 velocities every
Describe how you defined fortnight sprint.
the content of the
conversation.

Who did you seek advice and The fact that these data are based on input from team members,
feedback from? Why did you direct supervisors, performance planning and management, and
choose these people to seek documented review and feedback sources will also be disclosed to
advice from? stakeholders.
Attach relevant notes and

correspondence to this
Attach: Information sources/references ☐
Policies and procedures ☐
Materials provided to the other person ☐
Meeting invitation ☐
Relevant correspondence, notes and documentation ☐

Section 2: Facilitating difficult conversations
Conversation 1
Adjusting your personal The adjustments I made were:

communication style
 I actively listened by giving the employee the time and
Think about this conversation space they needed;
and describe how you
 while doing so, I kept adjusting my tone and changing my
adjusted your communication
body language as the conversation was likely to be
style in response to the needs
somewhat emotional and could also escalate into
of the other person.
aggression in the event of employee dissatisfaction.
Reflect on:
 I also mimicked a few of their movements and word
 the adjustments that you choices.
made
The following signals caused me to modify my communication
 the signals that led you to style:
adjust your style
 I felt as though the discussion was lacking focus at one
 whether the changes that point;
you made met the needs
 Some of the points raised by the employee infuriated me,
such as the fact that he was comparing his review with
Attach proof of your difficult another person, which seemed to be completely
conversation (e.g., video, irrelevant.
screen recording of virtual
I found that adjusting these signals greatly aided in making
meeting, etc) to this section of
decisions that were rational, just, and consistent. That finally
the portfolio (if not already
contributed to the conversation's overall rigour and diligence.
viewed in person by your
assessor). You should also
attach links to relevant
legislation and
policies/procedures.
Confirming the I persisted in posing various enquiries about his true expectations
understanding of the other and the reasons why he believed he deserved them. I also
person explained to him the various components of the review
procedure. I made it very clear that reviews are based on a
Think about this conversation
variety of factors, not only the daily work performed, including
participation in other programmes and alignment of goals with
confirmed the understanding
those of the organisation.
Employee seemed to have some understanding of the review
Reflect on:
outcome after all the explanations.
 the strategies that you

used
 whether or not the

person had understood
the message
 how you responded.
Confirming outcomes I listened carefully to the employee and then matched the
following results to business policies and procedures:
and describe how you  The employee's acceptance into the EAP programme,
confirmed the outcomes of which will aid him in overcoming this circumstance.
the discussion.
 The employee agreed to participate in a training and
Reflect on: development programme that will enable him to gain
 the strategies that you new skills, which will enable him to switch jobs and
used demonstrate his versatility.

person accepted/agreed
on the outcomes.
Attach a copy of any written

outcomes from the meeting
to this section of your
Portfolio.
Support services Peer to peer and supervisor evaluation documents, which served
as the primary sources of support throughout the entire
Describe any support services
dialogue, highlighted the employee's overall performance in all
that you referred the person
areas, including communication, adaptability, level of team
to as a result of this
involvement, and other external coursework.
conversation.
To support the document under review, as well as the policies
What were the signals that a
and practises of the business, like employee development and
referral to support services
training.
was necessary?
Refer to the relevant policies

and procedures in your
answer.
Attach: Proof of conversation ☐

Relevant policies/procedures ☐
Written outcomes of meeting (if relevant) ☐

Conversation 2
Adjusting your personal When the discussion was heated, it was clear that the
communication style stakeholders were not pleased with my expectations of them. Of
course, the delivery must be made due to the stakeholders'
obligation to the investors and other parties. The changes I made
to my communication in such a situation were as follows to keep
adjusted your communication
the team engaged while also demonstrating that I was aware of
style in response to the needs
those aspects, which I was:
Reflect on:  In the meantime, I kept shifting my tone and altering my

body language to emphasise the importance of the extra
 the adjustments that you time needed for delivery while actively listening to what
made stakeholders had to say about the request.
 the signals that led you to  I firmly concur with their points and frequently expressed
adjust your style the team's worry regarding the delivery.
 whether the changes that  Because I was the only one trying to persuade, at one
you made met the needs time it appeared to be a one-on-one conflict.
 I had to make a big decision in order to stand out from
Attach proof of your difficult the crowd.
conversation (e.g., video,
screen recording of virtual The following indications caused me to change my
meeting, etc) to this section of communication approach:
the portfolio (if not already  I felt as though I was lacking focus on persuading the
viewed in person by your stakeholder;
assessor). You should also
 At first, none of the stakeholders even considered an
attach links to relevant
extend indicating that we had already made a promise.
legislation and
policies/procedures. Making logical, just, and consistent decisions was made much
easier for me by adjusting these signals. Finally, it helped ensure
that the discourse was clear and comprehensive.
Confirming the They all agreed that the team is really going through a difficult
understanding of the other period and that we need to take some action to keep them
person motivated, thus my method of presenting the current scenarios
facts in metrics helped stakeholders comprehend the situation.
and describe how you I therefore reacted with a strategy that will assist appease
confirmed the understanding everyone. I prioritised each item so that the top 60% to 70% could
of the other person. be completed in this sprint and the remaining 30% in the
following.
Reflect on:
 the strategies that you

used

person had understood
the message
 how you responded.
Confirming outcomes The approach I took in this situation was to commit to

completing a number of high priorities without adding to the
deadline so that the client would receive something rather than
nothing, the team would remain motivated, and other customer
confirmed the outcomes of
issues could be addressed.
the discussion.
In order to boost the team's efficiency, we also made the
Reflect on:
decision to hire some junior engineers who could be educated in
 the strategies that you customer service.
used
All parties involved expressed their support for these choices.
person accepted/agreed
on the outcomes.
Attach a copy of any written

outcomes from the meeting
to this section of your
Portfolio.
Support services The primary support service throughout the entire talk was:
Describe any support services  The strategy plan 2020–2022, which focuses on creating
that you referred the person deeper relationships with consumers, luring in,
to as a result of this motivating, and growing the greatest workforce and
conversation. working environment, and providing the product with
What were the signals that a value and quality.
referral to support services  Communication guidelines and policies that reiterate the
was necessary? mission and strategic objective.
Refer to the relevant policies  A staff code of conduct that provides employees with
and procedures in your helpful guidance when they are faced with moral
answer. conundrums.
Attach: Proof of conversation ☐

Relevant policies/procedures ☐
Written outcomes of meeting (if relevant) ☐

Section 3: Reviewing your own effectiveness
Conversation 1
Reflect on your own Absolutely, I succeed in achieving the goals I set forth before the
performance meeting. Employee consented to receive all necessary training and
make any behavioural adjustments that would enable him to
Reflect on your performance
perform even better in all aspects of performance evaluation
in this conversation.
metrics in the future.
Did you achieve the
I was successful in persuading the audience that the information
outcomes that you set out
was gathered from reliable sources. In doing so, I also managed to
to achieve?
keep my good relationship with the employee despite our
What did you do well? uncomfortable chat.
What would you do The next time, I'll make an effort to regulate my signals before we
differently next time? begin speaking to increase my involvement in the conversation.
Seek feedback from the I received comments utilising these many strategies since they are
other party efficient:
Seek feedback from the  Directly asked if he approves of my conversational style and
other party to the the information I have delivered.
conversation.
 I'll also enquire if any issues our chat raised for his co-
Discuss the following: workers.
How did you seek their The employee appears to be pleased with my strategies, according
feedback? Why did you to him and his co-workers.
choose this method?
Nonetheless, I discover that before hearing another person's
Summarise their feedback. viewpoint, I must restrain my emotions and judgement.
What did you learn about
your performance from
their feedback?
Identify: The areas I need to improve in future while conducting this kind of
difficult conversation are:
 at least two areas for
future improvement in  improve communication skill so that I can better adjust my
the area of leading signals for that I will participate in expert training program.
difficult conversations.
 Improve control over emotion.
Describe how you will
apply this information
to your practice.
Attach any written feedback

that you received or any

notes that you took during a
feedback session to this
section of your portfolio.
Attach: Written feedback ☐
Feedback notes ☐

Conversation 2
Reflect on your own Yes, I think the results were achieved because we all worked
performance together to find a solution that not only lessened the current
problem but also helped us be better prepared for similar problems
Reflect on your performance
in the future.
in this conversation.
I was successful in convincing others that the information was
Did you achieve the
received from credible sources. In addition, I kept a strong
outcomes that you set out
relationship with the stakeholders despite the difficult talk.
to achieve?
I'll try to control my signals before we start talking the next time so
What did you do well?
that I can be more attentive during the chat.
What would you do
differently next time?
Seek feedback from the I gathered feedback from stakeholders in the following ways:
other party
 Did they express satisfaction with the decision and, if so,
Seek feedback from the any queries immediately following the meeting?
other party to the
 Does the client have any comment on our revised delivery
conversation.
timetable as of the very next day?
Discuss the following:
The choice was positively received by the client as well as the
How did you seek their stakeholders because we made it clear to the client that we
feedback? Why did you wouldn't compromise on quality.
choose this method?
I discovered that as a leader, I should never stray from the main
Summarise their feedback. topic at hand and avoid being very emotionally invested in the
What did you learn about interests of one particular party.
your performance from
their feedback?
Identify: In order to conduct this type of challenging conversation in the

future, I will need to improve in the following areas:
 at least two areas for
future improvement in  Keep emotions in check, remain optimistic, and stick to the
the area of leading facts. To do this, I will practise using a positive tone and
difficult conversations. remaining emotionally neutral.
Describe how you will
 I will enrol in a professional training programme to improve
apply this information
my communication skills so that I can more effectively adapt
to your practice.
my signals.
Attach any written feedback
that you received or any
notes that you took during a

feedback session to this

section of your portfolio.
Attach: Written feedback ☐
Feedback notes ☐

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Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371

CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D

BSBCMM412 Lead difficult conversations

Section 2: Facilitating difficult conversations 12

Section 3: Reviewing your own effectiveness 18

Student name: Shashank Thumma

Assessor: Varun Choudhary

Business that this Worlducation

Leadership role assumed by Technical Team Lead

Conversation 1 Talking to an employee who is

Conversation 2 Talking to top level

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 3

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 4

Section 1: Preparing to lead a difficult conversation

1. Define the conversation.

In order to meet the employee's expectations in a way that

 Email from a worker expressing dissatisfaction

Explain the data you  Peer to peer performance feedback

 What data did you

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 5

policies and legislation:

 How did the data you

Note: Make careful to cite

Include copies of the

coordinating the Policies and procedures such as performance planning and

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 6

 How and why did you let

 where and why you

Who did you ask for their

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 7

Attach relevant notes and

Attach: Information sources/references ☐

Policies and procedures ☐

Links to relevant legislation ☐

Materials provided to the other person ☐

Relevant correspondence, notes and documentation ☐

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 8

2. Define the conversation.

This conversation's goals are to request an extension for

Describe the talk in general. The discussion is motivated by:

 The irritation of the team members over the deadline's

the conversation's  Team members are unable to devote enough time to

 Less participation in employee training and development

In your answer, explain why  Negotiation on milestones with stakeholders.

 Setting future plan

Describe the information including:

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 9

 What information did  Team meets every day.

 How did the

Note: Ensure that you refer

Attach relevant policies and

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 10

 where you chose to

 the format for the

 the timing of the

Attach relevant policies and

BSBCMM412 Project portfolio template v1.0 11

Attach relevant notes and

Attach: Information sources/references ☐

Policies and procedures ☐

Links to relevant legislation ☐

Materials provided to the other person ☐