Navigating Difficult Conversations – Insights from the Academic Speakers’ Club

How can we stay confident, clear, and grounded when conversations become challenging? This question guided the latest session, led by WU Academic Speakers’ Club members Thomas Rusch and Karolina Weyna, which took place on 26 November 2025. As always, the ASC provided a supportive, low-pressure environment where colleagues could explore communication skills through practice, reflection, and peer feedback. This time, the focus was on the theme “Difficult Conversations.”

The session began with two conference-style presentations. For the second presentation, the group incorporated a special request: practicing what to do when being interrupted mid-presentation. Participants rehearsed strategies to stay composed, clarify the point at which they were interrupted, and maintain ownership of the narrative. This exercise sparked valuable discussions about boundaries, presence, and the importance of confidently guiding the room.

After a short break, the group moved into a reflective exercise on handling difficult workplace conversations. Using a fictional, but highly relatable, scenario involving a conflict of interest between a supervisor and an employee, participants worked together to analyze perspectives, emotional triggers, and possible communication pitfalls. They then outlined concrete strategies for approaching such situations constructively.

Key takeaways

• Set the tone early: Begin with calmness and positivity to reduce defensiveness and create a problem-solving atmosphere
• Bring proactive solutions: Instead of focusing only on the problem, offer options and suggestions for how to move forward
• Establish and communicate boundaries: Knowing what you need and expressing it respectfully, helps prevent conflicts from escalating

The discussion highlighted how universal these challenges are, regardless of career stage or department, and how helpful it can be to practice them in a trusted peer environment.

The Academic Speakers’ Club continues to offer a space to explore communication from public speaking to negotiation, from self-presentations to handling unexpected obstacles. Everyone is welcome to join whenever the topic resonates or when they simply feel like practicing with colleagues in a supportive setting.

Want to get to know more?

For questions, suggestions, or specific communication challenges you’d like to work on, feel free to contact us at asc@wu.ac.at or visit the WU Academic Speakers’ Club website. Next session: Coming soon — details will follow on our website!