Managing Conflict & Difficult People

OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the workshop delegates will:

• Identify the key components present in all angry confrontation
• Recognise different stages of conflict escalation
• Recognise the signs of conflict and aggression
• Maintain composure when responding to conflict and aggression
• Use skills to manage their words, phrases and body language
• Demonstrate skills to stay calm and manage angry customer behaviour

PROGRAMME DETAILS

Day 1

• Background to conflict:
• Triggers to aggressive behaviour
• Understanding customers’ needs when they are angry
• Stages of conflict escalation
• How our safety can be compromised
• Recognising rising anger:
• Reading signs and symptoms of aggression
• Managing conflict 'flashpoints'
• Responding to conflict:
• Understanding our natural response to conflict
• Understanding the impact of ‘red rag’ words and phrases
• Managing our body language during conflict
• Staying calm and managing our own responses

Day 2

• Managing conflict:
• Structuring and controlling the conversation
• Listening and calming the situation
• Acknowledging difficulties and customer emotions
• Managing unpredictability (drugs, alcohol, mental illness, etc.)
• Saying ‘No’ effectively
• Handling abusive behaviour
• Solving the problem
• Problem Solving
• Problem analysis
• Taking responsibility
• Using participative problem solving

Day 3

• Leadership Styles / Team Work
• Range of leadership styles
• Identifying your own preferred style
• What happen to leaderless groups
• Aligning leadership style to organisational climate
• Team building (Belbins)
• Exercises

Day 4

• Negotiating Skills
• The value of negotiating
• How negotiation differs from selling
• Your bottom line and optimum aim
• Case studies