EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING LABS

This workshop helps leaders and teams stay calm, clear, and credible when hit with hostile, high‑stakes, or left‑field questions in meetings, town halls, and board or client settings. Participants leave with simple mental models, ready‑to‑use response structures, and rehearsed language they can adapt under pressure.

The Seven Deadly Questions 

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” (competence challenge).

“Isn’t this just spin / a cover‑up?” (trust challenge).

“Why should we believe you now?” (credibility/history).

“Who approved this and how?” (governance).

“What happens to me/my team?” (personal impact).

“What aren’t you telling us?” (transparency).

“Why should we keep supporting this?” (license to operate).

Agenda (2-2.5 hours)

Open and framing (15 min)

1. Quick poll: when tough questions go wrong.
2. Core principles: separate question from attack, buy time, bridge to your message, and close with a clear next step.

Tools for tough questions (30 min)

1. Teach 1–2 simple frameworks, e.g. Pause–Clarify–Acknowledge–Answer–Advance, plus a structure for “I don’t know yet.”
2. Micro‑skills: body language, voice, and managing your own nervous system.

The 7 deadly questions lab (30 min)

1. Small groups rotate through stations, each with a “deadly question” relevant to their context.
2. Participants practice live answers using the frameworks; peers score on clarity, calm, and honesty.

Other tough conversations (30 min)

1. Brief input on handling difficult one‑to‑ones: performance issues, pushback, and emotion.
2. Role‑play real scenarios brought by participants (manager–employee, leader–stakeholder, client–consultant).

Personal playbook and commitments (15 min)

Each person drafts a one‑page “hot‑seat script”: likely tough questions in their role, best‑fit responses, and a pre‑meeting prep checklist.

Closing round: one practice commitment for the next 30 days.

The session suits senior leaders, people managers, spokespeople, and client‑facing experts who regularly field challenging questions. A virtual follow‑up (60 minutes) 4–6 weeks later can revisit real situations, refine playbooks, and reinforce habits under real‑world pressure.