Professional Effectiveness
Working with Difficult People
Difficult People: Can't Change Them, so Change Yourself
Difficult People: Strategies to Keep Everyone Working Together
Difficult People: Why They Act That Way and How to Deal with Them

Difficult People: Can't Change Them, so Change Yourself

Course Number:
comm_46_a02_bs_enus
Lesson Objectives

Difficult People: Can't Change Them, so Change Yourself

  • recognize how your own perspective can reshape your view of difficult people
  • identify actions to take to increase self-awareness
  • identify reactions that show self-awareness
  • recognize the signs that signal the need for self-management
  • choose reactions that reflect meditative techniques
  • choose reactions that reflect thinking techniques
  • identify your own behavior style and that of others
  • choose appropriate behavior to overcome negative conduct
  • use self-awareness and self-management techniques to enable more successful working relationships with difficult people

Overview/Description
It would be easy to say that to deal with difficult people you should be tolerant and accept people's differences. This sounds nice, and might work in the short term, but if you are working with people you find difficult and you expect to be working with them for some period of time – you are better off learning how to respond and relate to them. The approach you use depends on the person, the situation, and your willingness to build and blend skills as needed. Dealing with difficult people requires that you first learn how to manage yourself with them. This means being self-aware and practicing self-management. It also means tuning into the feelings and emotions of others, however difficult it might be. When you know what triggers you and how you typically react, you can build skills to help make your interactions with others more productive. This is emotional intelligence, and if you build this capacity, you will be able to deal more effectively with many difficulties in life (including other people)!

Target Audience
Individuals who want to develop or refresh their communications skills when working with difficult people

Difficult People: Strategies to Keep Everyone Working Together

Course Number:
comm_46_a03_bs_enus
Lesson Objectives

Difficult People: Strategies to Keep Everyone Working Together

  • recognize interpersonal strategies that help you work with difficult people
  • choose ground rules that will help redirect the behavior styles of difficult people
  • direct difficult behavior toward desired goals
  • choose the appropriate time and conditions for giving effective feedback
  • identify appropriate strategies for delivering feedback
  • follow appropriate steps to manage conflict with a difficult person
  • use interpersonal skills and strategies when working with difficult people

Overview/Description
While it's best to get personally fit for dealing with difficult people – that is, managing your own emotions and using self-management techniques, there are interpersonal strategies and skills you need when you engage and work with a difficult person.By learning how to focus on goals, give feedback, and manage conflict, you can work with difficult people more effectively.

Target Audience
Individuals who want to develop or refresh their communications skills when working with difficult people

Difficult People: Why They Act That Way and How to Deal with Them

Course Number:
comm_46_a01_bs_enus
Lesson Objectives

Difficult People: Why They Act That Way and How to Deal with Them

  • recognize the characteristics of difficult people "types"
  • describe the motivations of people who exhibit dominant-controlling behavior
  • respond effectively to a dominant-controlling person
  • recognize what motivates people who exhibit analytical-obsessive behavior
  • predict analytical or obsessive behavior based on typical root causes
  • identify motivations behind the behavior of expressive-impulsive people
  • identify appropriate strategies for dealing with expressive-compulsive people
  • recognize the traits exhibited by skeptical-negative people
  • use strategies to deal effectively with skeptical-negative people
  • respond effectively to difficult people by understanding the motivations underpinning their behavior

Overview/Description
Anything taken to an extreme can be a liability, and this is true of human behavior. While confident, cautious, or energetic people can be perfectly tolerable in small doses, they can also be annoying or problematic when their behavior is over-the-top. Then there are people who are just plain negative - their glass is always 'half empty.' While occasional griping is acceptable, negativity can wear you down.Certain situations trigger extreme behaviors that might be moderated otherwise. And, your own emotional state might be such that your tolerance for any extreme is low. All sorts of situational and personal circumstances can make a somewhat difficult person into an extremely difficult person in no time.

Target Audience
Individuals who want to develop or refresh their communications skills when working with difficult people

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