FREE 10-MINUTE TOOL FOR CHRISTIAN WOMEN LEADERS
You Know You Need to Say Something.
You're Just Not Sure How to Say It.
When you lead in a church or faith-based organization, some conversations carry more weight than others. Maybe you need to address a team issue, ask for more support, clarify expectations, set a boundary, disagree with a leader, advocate for yourself, or finally bring up something you’ve been thinking about for weeks.
And when the relationship matters, the ministry matters, and you want to handle the conversation well, it’s easy to start second-guessing yourself:
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Is this really worth bringing up?
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Am I making too much of it?
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What if I say it wrong?
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What if they don’t respond well?
You don't need the perfect words.
You need enough clarity to know what needs to be said and a simple plan for saying it.
In just 10 minutes, decide whether the conversation needs to happen, get clear on what you want to say, and prepare your opening.
Stop Rehearsing the Conversation in Your Head
Difficult conversations are part of leadership. But that doesn’t mean they come easily. Especially when you care about the relationship, respect the person across from you, or know the conversation could affect your role, your team, or the ministry you love.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t knowing that something feels off. It’s figuring out:
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Does this actually need to be addressed?
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What do I know versus what am I assuming?
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What am I really asking for?
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How do I begin without overexplaining, softening the issue until it disappears, or sounding harsher than I intend?
That is exactly what this tool will help you work through.
In 10 Minutes, You’ll Walk Away With…
Clarity about whether you need to speak up
Not every frustration needs a conversation. You’ll use a quick set of questions to help you decide whether this is something to process and release or something that deserves to be addressed.
A clearer view of what actually happened
Separate the facts from the story you may be telling yourself so you can lead from what you know while staying curious about what you don’t know yet.
A specific outcome for the conversation
Instead of simply hoping they “understand,” you’ll clarify what you actually want: a decision, clearer expectations, more support, a boundary, acknowledgment, greater ownership, or another concrete next step.
Words to help you begin
Use my simple NAME → IMPACT → ASK → NEXT framework to prepare the opening of your conversation so you don’t have to figure it out in the moment.
A one-page conversation plan
Pull everything together onto one page you can keep nearby when the conversation happens.
Because Avoiding the Conversation Has a Cost Too
Sometimes we tell ourselves we’re keeping the peace when what we’re really doing is postponing something leadership requires us to address. And sometimes we convince ourselves we need to say something when what we actually need is time to process our own disappointment.
Wisdom is knowing the difference.
This tool will help you slow down long enough to discern what this situation requires and then move forward with greater clarity. Not perfectly. Not with a script for every possible response. But prepared enough to begin.
I Know These Conversations Aren't Always Simple
I’m Jeannette Cochran, a leadership coach and former executive pastor with more than 30 years of experience leading in churches and nonprofit organizations.
I’ve had the conversations where relationships mattered, ministry was at stake, and I wanted to be both honest and wise in how I responded.
I created this tool to help Christian women leaders get out of the cycle of rehearsing, second-guessing, and avoiding, and get clear enough to have the conversation that leadership may be asking of them.
Have a Conversation You’ve Been Putting Off?
