Navigate high-stakes workplace conversations — communicate with clarity, stay calm under pressure, and lead with confidence when it matters most.

Handle critical and high pressure conversations with professionalism and emotional regulation… even if conflict or confrontation makes you nervous.

 Access the On-Demand Training

When the Stakes Are High, One Conversation Can Change Everything

Some conversations carry more weight than others. A high-stakes workplace conversation can impact connection, trust, morale, safety, productivity, workplace culture, and your credibility as a leader or professional.

Whether you’re dealing with emotionally charged clients or customers, navigating conflict, addressing performance, managing tension, responding to safety concerns, or dealing with delicate situations, your success depends on your ability to communicate clearly without escalating the situation.

When high-stakes conversations go sideways, the results can include:

  • Defensiveness and emotional escalation
  • Disconnection across the team
  • Avoidance, silence, and unresolved tension
  • Divisiveness and challenges working together
  • Breakdown in trust and engagement
  • Complaints or formal conflict
  • Risk to safety, culture, and retention
High-Stakes Conversations - When Work Conversations Go Sideways

The good news: High-stakes communication skills can be learned.

You don’t need to rely on scripts that don’t work or hope the conversation goes well — you can build the skills to show up grounded, calm, and confident.

High-Stakes Conversations:

Strategies for Success in Critical Conversations

High-Stakes Conversations is a practical, no fluff, high-impact online training in Hammond International’s professional development and workplace training series.

This engaging session helps leaders, employees, and board members build the skills needed to navigate critical conversations with clarity, emotional intelligence, and confidence — even when the conversation feels tense, sensitive, or emotionally charged.

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High-Stakes Conversations - Tools
You’ll leave with tools you can use immediately for:
  • Conflict and tension between coworkers
  • Difficult feedback and accountability conversations
  • Performance or behavioural concerns
  • Safety and risk discussions
  • HR-related or sensitive issues
  • Communication breakdowns and misunderstandings
  • Conversations that feel “heavy,” “loaded,” personal, or unpredictable

ON-DEMAND VIDEO TRAINING

Learn strategies to stay calm, communicate clearly, and de-escalate conflict when the pressure is real.

Register for this online 1-hour video training with accompanying audio, transcript, and multiple PDF resources available via our membership website.

High-Stakes Conversations - On-Demand Video Training
 Stay Grounded When the Stakes Are High

Better Conversations in Critical Moments = Better Outcomes

High-stakes conversations are where workplace culture is tested. When emotions are elevated and stakes are high, many people default to:

  • Avoidance
  • Blame and transferring responsibility
  • Over-explaining / defensiveness
  • People-pleasing
  • Anger, shutdown, or reactive communication

This online training gives you a better way — grounded, practical, and realistic for real workplaces.

Better Conversations in Critical Moments = Better Outcomes

You’ll learn how to:

Recognize what makes a conversation “high-stakes” and why even good communicators get it wrong

Prepare for critical conversations so you feel grounded and clear (not anxious and reactive)

Stay emotionally regulated under pressure (even if the other person isn’t)

Use language that reduces defensiveness and increases openness

De-escalate conflict while still addressing the real issue

Navigate power dynamics and personalities with professionalism

Protect relationships while reinforcing accountability and standards

Through real-world examples, reflection, and practical tools, you’ll learn strategies that help you communicate with calm confidence — even when the conversation matters deeply.

If You Work With People, You WILL Have High-Stakes Conversations

This training is ideal for:

  • Leaders, supervisors, people leaders, managers, and boards of directors who need confidence in critical conversations
  • HR and Learning & Development professionals supporting people, performance, and culture
  • Emerging and new leaders who want practical skills before high-stakes moments arise
  • Front-line staff and professionals navigating challenging interactions
  • Joint Health Safety Committees (JHSC) improving safety conversations at work

We work across many sectors including all three levels of government, non-profit organizations, associations, JHSCs, ERGs, business and corporate clients, partnering with them to create psychologically safe and healthy workplaces, cultures of care and belonging, and teams that work better together through training and workshops, keynotes/presentations, online training, panel presentations, and consulting.

Resources & Tools

You’ll Receive:

The on-demand video training includes an Mp4 video, Mp3 audio, transcript and downloadable PDF resources.
Once you complete the modules in the membership training, you’ll be able to download a certificate of completion.
  • Back Pocket Conversation Starters for High-Pressure Moments
  • De-escalation Language & Phrases To Lose and Use
  • Difficult Conversations Preparation Checklist
  • Emotional Regulation Guide
  • High-Stakes Conversation Preparation Checklist - Self Check-In
  • Listening & Clarifying Toolkit
  • Navigating Big Emotions in the Workplace - Tips

BONUS Training Included

(Value $147)

When you register for High-Stakes Conversations, you also receive complimentary access to:

Essential Workplace Communication Skills — Self-Paced Online Training

This foundational training reinforces the core communication skills that support high-stakes success: listening, emotional regulation, respectful dialogue, and clarity.

Essential Workplace Communication Skills

About Your Trainer, Charmaine Hammond

Charmaine Hammond, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), MA, BA, is a highly sought-after business keynote and workshop speaker, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and educator who teaches and advocates the importance of developing trust, healthy relationships, and collaboration in the workplace.

She has helped clients in many companies and industries (government, oil and gas, trade associations, health, nursing, engineering, safety, technology, human resources, community partnership departments, educational institutions, police/fire and rescue, and more) build resilient and engaged workplaces, develop high trust/high accountability relationships, and solve workplace issues and conflicts that get in the way of success and profitability. She is respected as a "no fluff" and "rich content" speaker who delivers tangible tools to step into action immediately. Delivering her programs in person and virtually, she brings results and facilitates change.

This former Correctional Officer (yup!  She worked in jails) and Corporate Dispute Resolution Expert (she was a mediator for more than 10 years) now travels the world teaching the principles of collaboration, communication/conflict resolution, and resilience. She has presented to more than 500,000 people worldwide. Her extensive background in the corporate, small business, and nonprofit worlds combined with her past role as a contract negotiation specialist for government and ongoing role as a business owner over the past 28 years have culminated in Charmaine’s interesting perspective of being on all sides of the collaboration table. 

What People Say About Charmaine Hammond

Town of Oakville
Municipal Enforcement Services

...the tools and strategies introduced during the session continue to be used by our team to this day...

We had the pleasure of working with Charmaine Hammond, and the experience was exceptional. Their presentation was thoughtfully tailored to our profession, featuring engaging and relatable anecdotal stories that truly resonated with our team. The information shared was impactful yet easy to absorb, making it immediately applicable to our daily work. Charmaine Hammond was highly responsive, professional, and a genuine pleasure to collaborate with. Notably, the tools and strategies introduced during the session continue to be used by our team to this day—a testament to the lasting value of their insights. We highly recommend Charmaine Hammond to any organization looking for meaningful, relevant, and enduring professional development.

Jenna D'Andrea
CHRL | Senior HR Generalist at Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.

...so well organized and executed.

Charmaine is a pleasure to work with! I've collaborated with her on a number of different sessions to deliver at the corporate level, and all have been so well organized and executed. In addition to her knowledge, she is personable - making her a facilitator that is relatable for viewers to connect with and gain more from her sessions. What I appreciate most about Charmaine's work is her openness and flexibility. She has always been willing to adjust the content being presented to better fit the organization and the audience.

Scott Cameron
Director - Safety Operations at Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

...tailored, relevant and high impact.

I had the pleasure of working with Charmaine Hammond during our November 2025 Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) Day where she delivered an outstanding presentation and discussion on navigating and leading through conflict to an audience of over 100 workers, supervisors and managers.

What impressed me just as much was how easy Charmaine was to work with. She stayed in constant communication in the weeks leading up to the event and she designed the content and materials to match our audience’s needs. That thoughtful preparation showed… her session felt tailored, relevant and high impact. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive.

I highly recommend Charmaine for any organization seeking to strengthen communication, build resilient teams and elevate their approach to conflict resolution. She’s a consummate professional and a genuine pleasure to partner with.

Ready to Strengthen Critical Conversations at Work?

Basic

High-Stakes Conversations:

Strategies for Success in Critical Conversations

 $

147 CAD

Includes:

  • 1-Hour training video, audio & transcript
  • 27-Minute Q&A video, audio & transcript
  • Downloadable tools, conversation starters, and checklists
  • Certificate of completion
  • BONUS: Essential Workplace Communication Skills self-paced training (value $147)
Register Now — Communicate Clearly Under Pressure
High-Stakes Conversations: Strategies for Success in Critical Conversations

100% Satisfaction Guarantee for 30 Days

30-Day Guarantee

You are fully protected by our 30-day money back guarantee. Join us for High-Stakes Conversations. There’s no risk… we guarantee that if you watch the training video, review the resources, and put these strategies into action, you'll get results. When you invest in your workplace culture, your investment never stops supporting you!

Lead with Clarity When It Matters Most

Lead with Clarity When It Matters Most

Great workplaces are built one conversation at a time — and high-stakes conversations are the moments that shape culture, trust, and results.

Access this high-value on-demand video to gain tools you can use immediately to stay calm, communicate clearly, and strengthen workplace relationships  even in tense, emotionally charged, or high-pressure situations.

 Handle Your Next High-Stakes Conversation with Confidence
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