THE WORKSHOP STARTS THE JOURNEY.
COACHING CREATES THE CHANGE.
THE WORKSHOP
POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS
The Skill We All Need Now
How to Improve Relationships, Results, and Resilience—One Conversation at a Time
Why Positive Conversations Matter
Human beings are wired with a negativity bias.
We notice problems faster than progress. We remember criticism longer than encouragement. We focus on what’s missing instead of what’s working.
That bias may have helped us survive—but it does not serve leaders and teams well in today’s workplaces.
When negativity dominates daily conversations:
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Good work goes unnoticed
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People feel undervalued and unheard
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Leaders don’t hear the whole truth
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Engagement, trust, and resilience quietly erode
Positive Conversations are designed to counteract that bias—intentionally and skillfully.
Positive Conversations Are Not About
Ignoring Problems
This is not about being “nice,” avoiding hard topics, or pretending challenges don’t exist.
Positive Conversations teach leaders how to:
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Address issues without triggering defensiveness
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Build people up before holding them accountable
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Learn from success—not just dissect failure
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Create conversations people don’t dread, but welcome
When leaders understand the root causes of success, they can replicate strong performance, coach more effectively, and prevent problems instead of constantly reacting to them.
Coaching What Matters Most
Coaching Relationships
Strong relationships don’t happen by accident—they’re built one conversation at a time. Coaching communication, listening, and early issue-resolution increases trust, reduces unhealthy conflict, and creates psychological safety so people speak up and collaborate.
Coaching Results
Results improve when people are coached—not controlled. Leaders who coach clarify expectations, focus on strengths, and turn mistakes into learning, driving ownership and consistent improvement without burnout.
Coaching Resilience
Pressure and change are unavoidable—but burnout is not. Coaching resilience helps people manage stress, recover from setbacks, and stay confident under pressure.
When leaders coach relationships, results, and resilience, they don’t just improve performance—they create people and teams who truly thrive.
Beyond the Workshop: Build a Habit,
Not Just Knowledge
Every participant in our workshop has the option to continue their growth through the 21-Day Positive Conversations Coaching Process.
This structured follow-up helps leaders:
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turn the ideas into daily habits
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apply the skills in real workplace, family, and community conversations
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stay accountable
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see the positive impact in just a few weeks
Because knowledge doesn’t improve
relationships, results, and resilience—
consistent, positive actions does.
The 21-Day Coaching Process
Why Coaching Matters
Understanding Positive Conversations is important.
Practicing them—especially when conversations are difficult—is what actually improves relationships, results, and resilience.
The 21-Day Coaching Process bridges the gap between knowing what to do and doing it consistently when pressure is high, emotions are real, and outcomes matter most. This is where insight turns into habit—and habit turns into impact.
Deliberate Practice, Not Just Good Intentions
You can’t think your way into better conversations—you have to practice them. Knowing the right approach is only the beginning. Lasting change comes from deliberate practice: focused, intentional repetition in real situations.
Throughout the 21 days, participants meet with a coach to role-play real conversations, prepare for upcoming interactions, and reflect on recent experiences. Together, they slow conversations down, examine how reactions show up under pressure, and rehearse more constructive responses before stakes are high.
Each practice strengthens the ability to bring out the best in others, address issues early, and resolve conflict the positive way.
Practice in Real Conversations
The 21-Day Coaching Process is designed around the conversations participants are already having—at work, at home, and in their communities.
Coaching focuses on:
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Strengthening relationships by addressing issues early and building trust through understanding
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Improving results by clarifying expectations, learning from what’s working, and encouraging ownership
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Building resilience by managing emotional reactions, recovering from setbacks, and staying grounded under pressure
Instead of reacting on autopilot, participants learn how to guide conversations toward clarity, accountability, and progress—even in challenging moments.
Build Habits That Hold Under Pressure
The goal of coaching is not perfection—it’s consistency.
Over time, daily conversations begin to shift:
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From reacting → responding
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From fixing people → developing people
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From avoiding issues → addressing them early
When stress rises or the stakes are high, these habits help restore civility, repair relationships, and keep conversations productive rather than personal.
Reflection That Accelerates Growth
Each day ends with a brief reflection:
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What worked in today’s conversations?
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What did I learn?
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What will I do better tomorrow?
This simple practice reinforces progress and turns everyday interactions into learning opportunities.
Structure + Encouragement + Accountability
Lasting change requires more than good intentions.
The 21-Day Coaching Process provides:
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Structure — a clear path for practicing better conversations
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Encouragement — a supportive coach to guide real-world application
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Accountability — a steady rhythm that keeps progress moving
The workshop starts the journey.
Coaching creates the change—
one conversation at a time.
POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS REQUIRE
DELIBERATE PRACTICE
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The Power of Deliberate Practice
The Positive Conversations Training does more than just share good ideas. The participants in our programs actually practice the positive conversation skills we teach. Knowledge is important it just doesn't change behavior. To get better at a skill you need to engage in deliberate practice.
Anders Ericsson, the world’s leading scientist studying expert performance has proven deliberate practice, not "natural" talent, is the reason high performers excel.
Knowledge is important, but it does not change behavior. To keep getting better, leaders and teams need to engage in deliberate practice on a regular basis.
Deliberate Practice has the following criteria: A specific goal; Expert coaching; Consistently learning from feedback so you can build on your strengths, correct mistakes, and continue to grow; Challenging yourself to move outside your comfort zone and learn something new; Building a foundation of strong fundamentals; Being focused and involved, not simply listening passively to others’ advice; Using visualization or mental practice to rehearse a specific skills you want to improve.
To learn more about the Positive Science behind this training
and the importance of Deliberate Practice
POSITIVE TRAINING
The skills in our Positive Conversations Workshops are taught in a group session that include leaders and teams who volunteer to be in the program. When engaged people go through the learning experience together, relationships get stronger and positive change happens faster.
The training is built on an action learning model.
There are no lectures. Knowledge is important, but it doesn't change behavior. We all need "deliberate practice" to improve relationships, restore civility, resolve conflicts, and bring out the best in everyone.
During the workshop, you will be involved in a variety of small group exercises designed to help you PRACTICE the Positive Conversations skills required to inspire a diverse group of people to work and live better together.
The timining of all training experiences are customized to the unique needs of each client.
"If you are trying to create positive change in your workplace, family, or community? If your answer is 'yes,' your number one priority today should be to get a little better at bringing out the best in everyone around you... one positive conversation at a time."
Bill Durkin
"Bill has been more than just a leadership coach. We have a family business, and he helped my entire family get along better."
Artie Cichy, VP SurfaceWerks, Inc.
"Your workshops and coaching has produced measurable results in productivity as well as real improvements in communication. Thank you for everything Bill."
Jack Schacht, President, Illinois Trade Association
“I appreciated hearing the simple, practical
ways our focus and choice of words can
impact our conversations.”
Don Raineri
I thought the zoom breakout sessions
were awesome!”
Amie Cargola
WEEKLY FOLLOW-UP MESSAGES
To help leaders and teams develop positive habits during the training, each person will have an opportunity to participate in our Follow-Up Process. During the 21 days following the workshop, participants will receive more education, encouragement and short positive action projects designed to support everyone as they experiment with finding better ways to bring out the best in everyone around them...one positive conversation at a time.
“I had the pleasure of attending Bill Durkin’s program. What an invigorating experience! We focused on ‘real’ communication that leads to successful business relationships and results. Bill had obviously familiarized himself with our business environment. My management style, techniques and philosophy of work were reinforced throughout the seminar and I felt rejuvenated.”
MaryAnn Reedy, Customer Service Manager Aetna
POSITIVE COACHING
For many leaders, group learning experiences are not enough to create consistently positive results. When new attitudes and skills are taught without follow-up and accountability, old behavior resumes quickly. Leaders may develop the desire to change; but after a few days, most people are back to their old habits. In order to ensure leaders get better at improving relationships and bringing out the best in everyone around them, Bill Durkin has developed a unique Coaching Process to enhance the value of the workshop.
The formal coaching option takes place over 90 days. During the coaching sessions, you and Bill will videotape a role-play of a conversation you’re going to have with a relationship challenge in your workplace, family, or community. When the role-play is complete, you and Bill will review the tape and identify what went well and what you can do to improve. Your assignment after the video coaching is to have the conversation and apply what you learned. Additional coaching sessions can be scheduled after the 90 days on an as-needed basis.
Bill will also be available anytime during the 90 days by phone
or email to answer your questions, offer guidance and make
sure positive habits are being developed. This process gives you the encouragement and support you need to get better at bringing out the best in yourself and others...one conversation at a time.
ASSESSMENT OPTIONS
Clients have the option of adding the following assessments before or after the training experience.
Contact Bill Durkin for more details.
Positive Conversations and Positive Coaching Assessments
Leaders and teams can complete a short on-line self-assessment and get feedback from others on the skills being taught in the Workshop.
Each participant has the option of taking the CLIFTON STRENGTHS Assessment
Research conducted by the Gallup Organization shows leaders and teams who discover, develop and use their strengths are: More Engaged at Work, More Productive and Happier and Healthier.
When people are aware of what makes them talented and unique, and use their strengths to serve others, they maximize their potential, become a better teammate and bring out the best in everyone around them.
Learning to have POSTIVE STRENGTH-BASED CONVERSATIONS is a great way to help your team thrive during times of uncertainity and change.
"There is no more effective way to empower people
than to see each person in terms of his or her strengths."
Don Clifton
POSITIVE TRAINING PREVENTS NEGATIVE RESULTS
The Effects of Negativity in the Workplace
ByAndra Picincu
A negative work environment can lead to diminished performance and poor employee morale. In the long run, it may harm your company's reputation and affect your ability to attract talent.
Employees who left their jobs due to bad company culture may have cost organizations over $220 billion over the past five years, reports the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The real cost of workplace negativity is much higher, though.
Workplace Negativity Hurts Your Bottom Line
According to research from SHRM, about one-third of employees say that their managers don't encourage a culture of open communication. Approximately one-quarter don't feel respected and valued at work.
Gossip and unresolved workplace conflicts affect employee morale and engagement. Over time, these issues may lead to a toxic work environment and hurt your company's bottom line.
The University of Southern California states that workplace negativity costs companies around $3 billion a year. According to one study published in IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, negative actions can quickly spread from person to person and affect everyone in the organization. If left unaddressed, they can decrease work performance by up to 30 percent.
Bill is a wonderful speaker and very knowledgeable. He kept our interest by giving personal examples. By providing the tools we needed, he made things easy to understand and helped us find a new way to approach things by looking at a situation from a different angle. Bill was thoroughly prepared and related the topics of his discussion to our office, our personal lives and other situations in which we can use our core skills. We need the skills talked about in this class before we can go looking for new business.
Great class. We certainly look forward to working with you again.
-- Carol Thornton Director, Continuing Professional Education RSM McGladrey --
As I reflect, Bill about our accomplishments over the last year, there is no doubt that you have had an appreciable impact on CBI Corporation. The training you offered our company was valuable, and everyone came away with thoughts and ideas that they have implemented. As important to me was the fact that you made sales calls with me. After 37 years of sales, it is easy to think you have most, if not all, the answers. You helped me realize that on a call I thought went extremely well but, as you pointed out, could have been much better. You have helped revitalize both me and CBI from a sales and marketing standpoint. You are a great guy with a lot of knowledge. We look forward to working with you again on other projects as they come up.
-- Cliff Bregstone, President CBI Corporation --
The workshop and follow-up sessions conducted by Bill Durkin for PricewaterhouseCoopers has added new dimensions to my leadership and enhanced my contributions to my work.
I’ve been able to extend myself to the teams that I lead, to elicit their participation, and to bring out the best in each of them.
Business is often a complex matter, and the heart of any business is people. I would highly recommend Bill Durkin because he has such a positive impact on people’s ability to relate, communicate, and perform. He has developed a real ability to bring people together, which is instrumental for increasing productivity and effectiveness in all business.
-- Pam Nigro, US UT PricewaterhouseCoopers --
CONTACT BILL DURKIN
To learn more about his Workshops, Coaching
or speeches, contact Bill Durkin at