Managing Difficult People at Work

Conflicts are inevitable whether in workplace or our personal lives. The aftermath could yield either positive or negative results depending on how the conflicts were being dealt with. However, the existence of employees coined as being “difficult” may contribute to the worsening of these conflicts, and sometimes, the cause of one. In addition, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to conflicts, as they differ from one another. Despite all of the above, there exist some similarities in the strategies, techniques, and approach for resolving conflicts and managing difficult people, which, will be explored in this masterclass. Participants of this course will also learn on the effective communication and negotiation techniques essential to conflict resolutions between individuals and teams at workplace. Therefore, this masterclass is a session not to be missed by employees of all levels of the organization, irrespective of the nature of business.

Course Outline

Module 1: Understanding Workplace Conflicts

• The 5-stage conflict process:
  • Latent
  • Perceived
  • Felt
  • Manifest
  • Aftermath
• The 4 types of conflict at work & their causes
  • Individual conflict
  • Interpersonal conflict
  • Group conflict
  • Organizational conflict

Module 2: Managing Difficult People

• The six employee persona
• Understanding team dysfunctions:
  • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Strategies to manage conflicts effectively
• Conflict resolution techniques (group activities)
  • Thomas Kilmann Model
  • Kraybill Conflict Style Model

Module 3: Cogent Communication for Conflict Management

• Adopting the 3Ts of persuasion in resolving conflicts at work:
  • Thought (Reasoning)
  • Tenderness (Emotional appeals)
  • Trust (Gaining people’s trust)
• 5 powerful communication tips for better management of difficult people
• Golden phrases that will help you gain the upper hand when handling conflicts at workplace

Module 4: Identifying Interpersonal Skills Group for Better Conflict Management

• Online questionnaire to determine your interpersonal skills group
• Elaboration on the results:
  • Understand your group
  • Learn about the strengths & weaknesses
• Handling the right types of conflict based on interpersonal groups

Module 5: Conflict Negotiation Skills

• Negotiation strategies:
  • Accommodating; Collaborative; Avoiding; Competitive; Compromising;
• Negotiation techniques:
  • Pull Technique
  • Push Technique
  • Pull-Push Technique
• Common negotiation mistakes in managing conflicts
• Tips for better negotiation results

Module 6: Relationship Dynamics in Resolving Conflicts

• Professional relationship building
  • Values and traits
  • Relational models
• Giving feedback
  • Effective techniques in giving and receiving feedback
• Active & reflective listening
  • Strategies & techniques
  • Do’s and don’ts when resolving conflicts