
Working with Difficult People
Course Length: 1 day
Delivery Methods:
Available as private class only
Course Overview
This Working with Difficult People training class teaches students to recognize and address situations with peers, staff, and supervisors that result from problematic behavior. Students will be introduced to strategies that proactively set the stage for a problem-free work environment and minimize the negative impact of difficult behaviors. Students will discover tools and techniques that promote realistic expectations, maintain a peaceful working environment, encourage constructive feedback, and help resolve conflict when it arises.
Course Benefits
- Explain the role of personality in the workplace.
- Explain the impact of difficult personalities.
- Illustrate the communication process.
- Describe the effects of broken communication.
- Apply constructive feedback and conflict resolution skills in a variety of situations.
- Formulate a set of proactive boundaries and consequences for given workplace situations.
- Learn methods for handling conflict when it occurs.
Course Outline
- The Impact of Unhealthy Personalities
- Personality and Behavior
- Workplace Environment
- Performance and Morale
- Types of Environments
- Morale and Turnover
- The Role of the Supervisor
- The Cost of Turnover
- Legal Implications
- Bullying
- Hostile Work Environments
- Harassment
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Grievance Processes
- Hidden Costs to a Company
- Decreased Productivity
- Leaves
- Replacement Costs
- Image and Revenue
- The Benefits of a Healthy Environment
- Understanding People
- Personality Types
- DMS-IV Personality Types
- Recognizing Destructive Behaviors
- Personality Types
- Authoritarian
- Manipulator
- Pessimist
- Dramatic
- Hero Syndrome
- The Victim
- Lethargic
- Understanding Motivation for Difficult Behaviors
- Personality Types
- Communication
- The Communication Loop
- The Sender
- The Receiver
- The Message
- Feedback
- Noise
- Filters
- Different Forms of Communication
- Verbal Communication
- Nonverbal Communication
- Voice Intonation
- Physical Behavior
- Facial Expression
- Physical Stance and Movement
- Culture and Physical Behavior
- Constructive Feedback
- Restating the Message
- Offering Criticism
- Communicating Goals
- Feedback and Communication Tools
- Patience
- Listening
- Avoiding Assumptions
- Phrasing and Rephrasing
- Visual Aids
- The Communication Loop
- Setting Boundaries
- Boundaries
- Communicating Boundaries and Consequences
- Consequences
- Negotiating Terms
- Win-Win Negotiations
- Compromise
- Healthy Boundary Concepts
- Enforcing Boundaries
- Evaluating Consequences
- Measuring Behavior
- Rubrics
- Handling Conflict
- Confronting the Difficult Personality
- Safety Issues
- Find a Watchdog
- Open Doors
- The Nature of the Relationship
- Confronting a Higher Authority
- Confronting a Subordinate
- Confronting a Peer
- Emotional Escalation
- Negotiation Techniques
- Process
- Preparation
- Know Your Resources
- Motivation
- Conclusion
- Behavior
- Negotiation Styles
- Emotion in Negotiations
- Positive Emotions
- Negative Emotions
- Substance
- Understand Everyone's Needs
- Win-win or Win-lose
- Mediation
- Choosing a Mediator
- Applying Formal Consequences
- Documentation
- Confronting the Difficult Personality
Class Materials
Each student will receive a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all the class examples.
Request a Private Class
- Private Class for your Team
- Online or On-location
- Customizable
- Expert Instructors