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Courageous
Conversations
Interactive Card Toolkit
Context
Objectives
Format
Ipsen was looking for a practical way for teams to approach difficult conversations with more confidence and clarity. We designed Courageous Conversations — a training built around a structured card deck, giving people a simple, repeatable way to address sensitive topics, resolve tensions, and speak up when it matters most.
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Make Difficult Conversations Easier: Equip teams with a simple, repeatable structure for handling high-stakes dialogue in the moments that matter most.
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Build Everyday Confidence: Enable participants to tackle sensitive topics, set boundaries, and resolve tensions so open and honest conversations become part of the team culture.
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Ensure Real-World Application: Provide actionable tools and tips teams can use immediately, driving lasting changes in how they communicate.
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Support Ongoing Growth: Give tools for self-assessment and continuous improvement, helping teams track and strengthen their skills over time.
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In-person experiential workshop
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Delivered onsite for Ipsen
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Card deck-based activities and group discussions
Activity description
Identifying Personal Barriers
The workshop opened with a reflection exercise, inviting each participant to pinpoint their top challenges when it comes to honest dialogue.
Naming these barriers led to an honest team discussion and made the learning relevant from the start.
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Building Skills with the Card Deck
Teams explored the Courage Cards —
a five-card deck that offered simple, actionable ways to approach a wide variety of challenging moments, from clarifying misunderstandings to pressing pause or resetting a tough conversation.
Through guided discussion and real-life examples, participants learned when and how to use each card, shared practical tips, and committed to trying out new techniques in their day-to-day work.
Committing to Growth
At the close, every participant received the ACT extension pack — a set of self-assessment checklists designed for use after the training, helping them review and improve their real-world conversations.
The session finished with teams signing a Commitment Contract, turning newly-learned tools into a shared commitment for continued honest dialogue.
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