Powerful Skills to Handle Conflict and Difficult People

We all encounter difficult people. Dealing with them triggers a stress reaction, but the usual ways of handling them (avoidance, gossip, conflict) are not often successful. Difficult people frequently remain difficult for a reason. Consciously altering your approach is healthier than avoiding the situation or escalating the conflict. This also has the bonus of indirectly influencing (most) difficult people to change their behavior. By resolving conflicts professionally and respectfully, employees collaborate better, build stronger work relationships and learn to be open-minded in the quest for solutions. In this course we cover three sections: • SECTION 1: Strategies for Handling Difficult People • SECTION 2: Dealing with Complainers • SECTION 3: Skills for Resolving and Mediating Conflicts Section 1: Strategies for Handling Difficult People Difficult people at work can be hard to handle, but there are strategies you can use to deal with these situations. Find out what the issues are and agree on a plan to address them. In this first section you will see three short videos: • 4 Strategies for Handling Difficult People • Handling Anyone Difficult • Working with a Moody Person Section 2: Dealing with Complainers At some point, we all have to deal with complainers at work – customers, visitors, or people we work with. Their complaints might be legitimate, but some people just feel better when they make a fuss. What is important is how we handle the situation. When someone has a complaint or is unhappy or becoming angry, don't get caught up in their emotions. Stay calm, focus on the issue and work to resolve it together. By remaining calm, you can begin to hear what’s possibly underlying the complaint and can approach matters methodically. In this section you will see two videos: • Calming a Complainer • Handling a Complainer Section 3: Skills for Resolving and Mediating Conflicts Conflict is almost inevitable when there are different personalities, multiple pressures and deliverables. Conflict can blow up with staff, customers, suppliers, anyone, at any time. In this section you will see three short videos: • 4 Paths for Resolving Conflict • Resolving Conflict • How to Mediate Conflicts