Workshop

Lead Conversations That Drive Ownership

Linda Scotti

Executive Coach - Ex-Google, Indeed

From pushback to ownership: conversations that drive real change

You know the conversation you need to have. The one you keep replaying in your head between meetings or while trying to fall asleep.

You’ve tried being direct, you’ve tried being empathetic, and you've explained the "why" five different ways. Yet, you still get:

  • “I can’t because…”

  • “It’s not my fault…”

  • Silence, shutdown, or a polite “Sure” followed by zero change.

This workshop is for that moment. In 3 hours, you'll learn to hold the line on standards while lowering the defensiveness that makes accountability conversations fail.

Why “brain-friendly” is the differentiator
Most models assume people are calmly processing data. In reality, when someone feels threatened (status, autonomy, fairness), their nervous system shifts into protection mode. That’s when resistance and victim language take over, turning your coaching into an energy drain.

The Outcome
You’ll leave with a system to:

  • Move people from pushback to ownership in one conversation.

  • Lead change without it collapsing into "this won't work here."

  • Create clear follow-up that actually sticks.

No "tips." Just scripts, templates, and a practiced plan.

What you’ll learn

Turn pushback, blame, and victim mindset into clear agreements, ownership, and measurable next steps.

  • Diagnose the hidden "nervous system needs" (SCARF) that silently derail feedback and cause pushback.

  • Master the "micro-yes" opener to increase readiness and lower threat before you deliver a single piece of data.

  • Replace vague "blur words" with observable data points so the message is clear, specific, and hard to argue with.

  • Implement the "+ N (Next)" framework to anchor every conversation in a future-facing, actionable coaching context.

  • Apply the 'Resistance Response Playbook' to move reps from blame and excuses back to agency and controllable actions.

  • Use validation-without-agreement to stabilize emotional responses while maintaining high performance standards.

  • Design a 3-part commitment-support-check-in loop that prevents "we talked about it" from being the end of the effort.

  • Define objective evidence for success so follow-up conversations are based on output rather than subjective interpretation.

  • Leverage reflection prompts that shift the thinking work to the direct report, fostering genuine self-accountability.

  • Pressure-test your own feedback language with AI to ensure it is neutral, specific, and free of unintended triggers.

Workshop agenda

  • The Pushback Pattern: Why Accountability Conversations Derail

    Identify common manager traps like rescuing or over-explaining. Diagnose your personal derailment pattern and learn why specific feedback triggers "protection mode" in the brain.

  • The Nervous System Scan: Spotting Hidden Resistance Triggers

    Learn a practical scan for the 8 core nervous system needs. Use "threat reducers" like the micro-yes and certainty-anchors to lower defensiveness without lowering your standards.

  • The Conversation Spine: Mastering SBI + N (Next)

    Replace "blur words" with observable data using the SBI model. Add the "+ N" to pivot the focus from judging the past to coaching the next attempt through future-focused feedforward.

  • Practice Lab: Navigating Victim Mindsets and Blame

    Apply your new script in a safe triad. Practice handling common derailers like excuses, silence, and deflective "victim" language while maintaining calm authority and clear boundaries.

  • The Resistance-to-Ownership Sequence

    Master a step-by-step response pattern to stabilize emotional pushback and restore agency. Move the focus from "why it happened" to "what you will do next" to drive genuine self-accountability.

  • The Follow-Up Loop: Making the Change Stick

    Design a repeatable 7-day follow-up loop. Learn to define objective evidence for success and finalize your "Difficult Conversation Plan" for a real challenge you are facing this week.

  • AI for Ownership: Shifting the Mental Load to the Rep

    Leverage AI reflection prompts that foster rep ownership. Use AI to pressure-test your feedback for neutral tone and clarity, ensuring your message lands exactly as intended every time.

Learn directly from Linda

Linda Scotti

Linda Scotti

Contact

Executive Coach Driving Measurable Leadership Effectiveness and Behaviour

Google, Indeed
Google
Indeed
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Who this workshop is for

  • The Rescuing Manager: Exhausted from "fixing" team problems. Ready to stop being the solution machine and start building team ownership.

  • The Direct High-Performer: A leader who values results but feels direct feedback is triggering defensiveness rather than behavior change.

  • The Change Leader: Navigating team resistance to new tools and processes. Needs a system to move people from resistance to possibility.

What's included

Linda Scotti

Live sessions

Learn directly from Linda Scotti in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Maven Guarantee

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Frequently asked questions

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Reimbursement

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Everything L&D needs: email template, receipts, and certificate of completion.

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Team discount

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Save 20%+ when 2 or more teammates enroll in the same cohort.

Save 20%+ with a team

Private cohort

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$347

USD

Jul 7
·

2 cohorts