The easiest way to deal with difficult people is to stay as far away from them as you can, suggests Robert Bramson Ph.D., organizational psychologist, management consultant with Bramson Gill Associates, and author of “Coping with Difficult People.”

Great advice for those who work by themselves at home; it’s a doable option. But the vast majority of people can’t avoid interactions with a wide range of personality types, including some who are inconsiderate, stubborn, incorrigible, inappeasable, indecent, or downright sleazy!

In fact, success sometimes depends on your ability to work well with all the above.

At the end of this workshop, participants should be familiar with:

• How their attitudes and actions impact others
• New and effective techniques for dealing with difficult people
• Coping strategies for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations
• How to identify times when they have the right to walk away from a difficult situation
• Techniques for managing and dealing with anger

Course Outline:

Introduction and Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Reciprocal Relationships

This lecture will examine the idea that, in a relationship with another person, our expectations are likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Dealing with Change

During this session, participants will examine change through a panel discussion and small group work.

The Agreement Frame

Anthony Robbins, and many other communicators, suggests we become skillful at using what he calls The Agreement Frame. This session will explore this idea and practice applying it.

The Ten Commandments of Change

Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman suggest there are Ten Commandments associated with change. Participants will look at these commandments and see how they can be applied.

Preventing Problems

There are several key ways that we can prevent problems from occurring. These methods will be examined in a lecture and in small group work.

Dealing with Problems

Participants will work in small groups to explore eight ways of dealing with problems.

Causes of Difficult Behavior

This lecture will look at the four fears that everyone has and how we can cope with them.

The Five-Step Process

During this session, we will look at a five-step process that can help participants resolve conflict.

Changing Yourself

Earlier we discussed how our attitudes and actions impact others. In this session, we will take a deeper look at how negative attitudes can cause negative interactions, and what we can do to turn those attitudes around.

Why Don’t People Do What They Are Supposed To?

There are a million possible answers to this question, but we will discuss the ten most common reasons.

Managing Anger

This session will share some techniques others have used to manage their anger. Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences and techniques.

De-Stress Options You Can Use Right Now!

To conclude the day, we will look at five techniques participants can use to unwind. We will also share a list of coping thoughts.

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the day, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.