Mastering Leadership Conversations - Oct 2026

Date • Tuesday 13 October 2026 (bookings close at 12noon Friday 9 October 2026) It is estimated that 70% of employee engagement is attributed to the relationship the employee has with his or her manager. Consequently, the most important thing a leader can do to help build employee engagement is to meet with each of their team members on a one-to-one basis to understand employees challenges and successes, support employees need to perform at their best, and recognition of on-going contributions to team performance. For a one-to-one relationship between manager and employee to build trust, leaders need to be able to respond in a way that shows respect, empathy and willingness to support -- no matter what direction the one-to-one conversation takes. While tying particular topics such as goal setting and development to the employee performance cycle ensures that it happens at some point in the year, it’s more natural and responsive for leaders to provide coaching and feedback when the need arises. This workshop is designed to give leaders practical experience that builds skills and confidence in feedback and coaching that reflects the desired outcomes for the conversation. You will Learn: 1. Manage a goal-setting conversation that aligns individual work plans with the needs of the team and the organisation (Goals). 2. Create an employee development plan that reflects the strengths of the individual with the skills needed for success in the role (Development). 3. Respond to needs for support in building adaptability, resilience and wellbeing (Wellbeing). 4. Provide appreciative feedback that is meaningful, motivating and contributes to employee engagement (Appreciation). 5. Address issues of poor performance when they occur through feedforward coaching (Performance). Course Facilitator - Dr Michelle Shields Dr Michelle Shields, MS Organisational Development; PhD Psychology, is a strengths-based HRD/OD practitioner. As principal consultant with Fulcrum Associates Ltd., she uses strengths-based approaches to help teams with strategy formation and culture change. She is an international partner of the Zenger Folkman Extraordinary Leadership practice employing strengths-based development for leveraging leadership at all levels. She has over thirty years of experience as a practitioner in New Zealand and the US, is the founder of Culture First Canterbury, and is a Chartered Member of the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand. This Course is $1,050pp including GST and Humanitix booking fees. Course fees include catering (all dietary requirements catered for) and booking fees.