No magic wand exists for difficult conversations, but this course comes pretty close. Using Claude and other free, publicly available AI tools as your personal preparation coach, you will learn how to prepare for and navigate the conversations many people avoid, delay, or mishandle at work and in life. Walking in unprepared or relying on language that does not sound like you can make them even more challenging.
Whether you are addressing a performance issue, working through conflict with a peer, delivering feedback to someone who does not receive it well, preparing for a high-stakes conversation with leadership, or navigating a difficult situation outside of work, this course offers a clear, step-by-step approach to using AI effectively. You will learn to prompt AI in a way that reflects your own voice, anticipates how others may respond, and allows you to practice before the actual conversation takes place. You will finish with a personalized plan and a repeatable approach you can turn to whenever a difficult conversation arises, whether at work or in everyday life.
What You Will Learn
- Prompt AI effectively to receive coaching-level guidance rather than generic advice
- Develop a personal communication style profile so AI output genuinely sounds like you
- Anticipate how the other person is likely to respond in a difficult conversation and prepare accordingly
- Shape and refine an opening and approach that invites dialogue rather than escalating tension
- Practice in real time using AI role play and evaluate your own performance through debriefing
- Walk away with a complete, personalized conversation plan ready for immediate use
Course Outline
Module 1: Why AI? Setting the Stage
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The avoidance cycle and what it costs us.
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What AI can and cannot do in conversation preparation.
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Overview of tools: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Pi.
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The personalization gap and why generic prompts produce generic results.
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Your first prompt, including unguided practice and debrief.
Module 2: Teaching AI Who You Are
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The four dimensions of communication style: directness, warmth, formality, and emotional expression.
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Building your Communication Style Profile.
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Putting your profile to work through before-and-after comparison.
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Common profile mistakes and how to fix them.
Module 3: Teaching AI About the Other Person
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Why the other person's profile matters.
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Building a Person Profile, including style, triggers, interests, and what makes them receptive.
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Using AI to anticipate reactions and stress-test your approach.
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Understanding the limits: AI sees only your perspective.
Module 4: Preparing Your Opening Statement
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The three-part anatomy of an effective opener.
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Five common opener mistakes and why they backfire.
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Drafting multiple versions with AI feedback.
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Refining your opener through iteration and peer review.
Module 5: Practice Mode — Role-Playing with AI
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Why practicing a conversation is different from rehearsing a monologue.
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Setting up a realistic AI role-play.
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Running a five-exchange practice simulation.
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Debriefing with AI: what you noticed and what to adjust.
Module 6: Your Personal Conversation Plan
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The six-part Conversation Plan framework.
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Building your plan with AI section by section.
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Using AI after the conversation through the post-conversation debrief prompt.
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Closing reflection and next steps.
This course is available for 30 days. You can choose when to start your access period. Once you activate, you will have 30 days to complete it (access the course materials, quizzes, projects and videos). You may request one extension of seven (7) days. Other extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Videos are not downloadable.
