Dealing with Difficult People
You know that feeling you get when you have to deal with difficult people?
😟That sinking feeling when you know you have to talk to a particular colleague.
😟That creeping dread when you need to tell your boss something.
😟Or even that exasperation when you need to explain something to your Mum for the umpteenth time.
It isn’t a good feeling, is it?
I’ve felt that way myself. Often.
I’ve dreaded talking to certain people. I’ve bent over backwards to avoid talking to them. And I found it became a creeping worry at the back of my mind:
☹️When will I have to see that person next?
☹️Will they be at the meeting?
☹️Will I have to talk to them?
But you don’t have to feel that way.
✅You CAN feel confident, self-assured and comfortable when talking to someone difficult.
✅It CAN be easy.
✅YOU can make it easier.
You don’t have to give them power over you: instead, you can learn new ways of thinking about them and dealing with them.
And when you do, they stop being difficult and simply become people.
How can you do this?
One way you can up your Difficult People game is by taking my Dealing with Difficult People course.
The learning will take place over five sessions. The first four sessions will go over that week's information at the start and then we will workshop some scenarios, applying the principles to real life.
The fifth week will be a workshop with test scenarios and role play (all optional!) so you can try out the knowledge you've built up over the first four weeks in a safe and friendly environment.
What the course will cover:
Why people are difficult.
How difficult people see the world.
What's going on in our brain when we are dealing with someone difficult.
What difficult people want (hint: it's the same for everyone).
How to have a good conversation with anyone.
...PLUS lots of tips, tricks and tools that will make all your conversations MUCH easier!
Course Outline
Week 1 - What makes people difficult?
Topics include:
What do your dealings with difficult people look like...and what do you want instead?
What makes people difficult, and how does that affect dealing with them?
The stories people tell and how changing one factor can affect the whole narrative.
Week 2 - How to Approach Difficult People
Topics include:
The #1 thing everybody wants.
The easiest way to connect with other people.
Perception is 9/10ths of the law!
Week 3 - Changing the Conversation
Topics include:
The basic principles of positive conversation.
Appreciative Questions: how they work and what they look like.
Pattern Interrupts.
Week 4 - Making Them Disappear
Specific tools and questions to open your mind:
What if..?
What do you appreciate?
Piecing together the Experience Puzzle
Week 5 - Group Workshop
Try out your new knowledge in a safe environment with test scenarios and role play.
The Practicalities
The course is hosted in the Rather Good Online Portal. You will be sent the access information as soon as you have enrolled.
When you go into the course area, you will find a wealth of options for you to consume the information, and to practice your new skills.
The intention is that the course can function as an interactive workshop where you learn new skills and put them into practice immediately with test scenarios.
In addition, I have included:
📺 Video Tutorials for the visual learners.
📻 Audio files for those who prefer to listen.
📖 A workbook for those who want to print everything out and run through it offline.
You can also use the online Portal to ask any questions about scenarios in your own life.
Who the course is for:
This course is intended to help you deal with people you find difficult in ordinary everyday circumstances.
Who the course is NOT for:
This course is NOT for helping you deal with people who have specific needs or difficulties. Some of the same perception ideas apply, but the context is very different. If you are having difficulties dealing with people like this, find a specialist who is trained to help with those specific needs.
And don't forget: some circumstances are just plain dangerous. A little light mindset work will not stop a skilled emotional manipulator or someone charging at you with a knife. Sometimes the appropriate response is to get yourself away from a situation, make sure you are safe and tell the police.
SAFETY FIRST, PEOPLE!
What I CAN help you with:
Finding better ways to deal with people you find irritating
Feeling confident going into conversations you once dreaded
Seeing the world and the people around you in a much more cheerful way!
Does that sound good to you?
If so, I'd love you to join me on the course.
Enrollment is closed right now, but if you join the waiting list you'll be the first to know when I reopen enrollment.
