Working with Different Personalities

Working with difficult people can cause us a certain level of stress and frustration. The fact is, we cannot avoid them and neither can we change their behaviour. The best way to go about this then is to learn how to work effectively with them.

This course aims to equip you with the right attitude and the relevant skills and techniques to handle different types of difficult people; so that relationship can be improved and work can get done more effectively. At the same time, the course also provides you with ways to get feedback about yourself and what you can do if you find yourself belonging to one of the categories of difficult people.

After the workshop, you will be able to:

• define what is a “difficult” person and the 2 main situations where people become difficult
• recognise your instinctive response to people who are difficult and why you will respond in that manner
• understand the 2 dimensions that affect how people behave that may be different from others
• learn about different working behavioural styles of people, what is important for each of them and what happens if their intents are not met
• identify the different categories of difficult people and their characteristics
• practice different techniques and strategies to handle each category of difficult people
• improve communication for dealing with different types of difficult people
• exercise awareness of your own behaviour so as to not become a difficult person to others
  

Outline

• Introduction
  – What is a “difficult” person?
  – What are the causes
  – Some thoughts about difficult people
  
  
• 4 types of responses to difficult people
  – Instinctive responses towards difficult people and why
  – Learning to manage your own emotions to prevent flight or fight responses
  
  
• 4 styles of working behaviour
  – 2 dimensions that explain why people behave differently
  – 4 general working styles of people
  – Understand the intent of each working style and what happens when that intent is not met
  
  
• Identify the categories of difficult people
  – 10 categories of difficult people from the 4 working styles
  – Characteristics of each category
  
  
• Strategies to cope with difficult people
  
  
• Techniques to handle specific categories of difficult people
  
  
• Ensuring we do not become the difficult person
  – Ways to get feedback on how you behave towards others
  – What to do after discovering that you belong to one of the categories?