Courageous Conversations

Navigating Uncomfortable Conversations
What’s the one conversation you know you need to have?
Uncomfortable conversations are inevitable and your success is often shaped by how many you’re willing to have and how well you handle them.

This interactive workshop builds one of the most essential skills in leadership and professional life: the ability to step into difficult dialogue with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Grounded in research on workplace conflict, participants will explore the real cost of avoidance and how it impacts teams, culture, trust, and outcomes.

Participants will walk through a practical, repeatable framework to prepare for, navigate, and follow up after challenging conversations. Blending research, real-world application, and candid stories, this session delivers a toolset you can use immediately.

You’ll learn how to:

• Prepare effectively for uncomfortable conversations with intention and clarity
• Recognize emotional triggers and respond rather than react
• Communicate clearly while maintaining trust and respect
• Navigate conflict productively instead of avoiding it
• Follow through to create understanding and forward movement

Participants leave with a clear blueprint and increased confidence to address conversations they’ve been avoiding, because the conversation you don’t have is often the one that matters most.



About Jess Pfister
Jess Pfister, MBA, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her) is the Senior Director of Operations for Ohio State’s Outpatient Care Centers, overseeing strategic direction and performance of the Ambulatory sites. Within the community, she actively coordinates volunteer efforts for non-profits and presently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for The New Albany Chamber of Commerce. Jess holds a clinical master’s in Speech-Language Pathology and an MBA from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. She is passionate about coaching and mentoring on topics such as healthcare culture, navigating challenging conversations, and leadership development. She has spoken nationally on diversity and inclusion issues affecting the health of the LGBTQ community.