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Dealing With Difficult People Training Course

This practical dealing with difficult people training course will equip you with tools to deal confidently with difficult, aggressive, or draining people—whether they’re customers, colleagues, or community members. You’ll learn how to stay composed, defuse tension, and set clear behavioural boundaries.

Difficult people have a knack of getting under your skin. In a confrontation they seem to get more enthused if they can increase the intensity. Difficult people appear in many roles — colleagues, customers, or managers — and they often impact workplace harmony and performance. And many of them just want to be plain ole difficult. So you need to build your barriers so they don’t get under your skin

Why Choose Our Dealing with Difficult People Training Course?

A very very popular approach. Without naming the names of the difficult people, we can tailor the workshop to cover the behaviours of thesis difficult people. Some government departments have excellent processes in place for dealing with difficult people. Sometimes private companies can be a bit lax particularly if the difficult people are big customers and/or managers. That’s why the tailored inhouse option works best. This in-house course is available across Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth and regional areas. No travel costs in capital cities

As author Nenia Campbell wrote: ‘Not all poison was bitter…’ — a reminder that difficult people can often appear charming at first.

If you’ve lost a night’s sleep in the past month thinking about a difficult person interaction then this course is perfect timing.

 

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Key Learning Outcomes

Key ‘Dealing with Difficult People’ Course Content:

  • Determine the reasons difficult people can be truly awful
  • Map the behaviours before “difficult”
  • Respond rather than react
  • Understand personality clashes
  • Discover why customers feel entitled to be difficult (power imbalance studies)
  • Plot the power plays of difficult people
  • Practise active listening skills
  • De-escalating anger techniques
  • Interrupt outbursts with detached empathy
  • Set behavioural boundaries with difficult people
  • Learn the baiting techniques awful people use to grab your attention
  • Point out how some people get enjoyment from causing distress
  • Discover how to disempower difficult people
  • Differences in values
  • Deal with challenging behaviours

Keep this course top of mind if you are looking for strategies to deal with entitled or explosive people

Course Description

Sometimes difficult people enjoy being difficult. They enjoy being abusive. They gain immense satisfaction from trying to ruin your day.

So, what can you do? How can you set boundaries for difficult people? How do you complete your work in the presence of difficult people? This course will give you the psychological tools to remain composed when dealing with difficult people. The aim is to keep you safe and calm in the face of adversity. Tomorrow is another day and sometimes a tactical withdrawal is the best defence.

This course will also show you what not to do. You don’t want to inflame the situation and you want to keep your personal safety top of mind.

‘Dealing with Difficult People’ Workshop Nuts and Bolts

Would you like to attend this tailored program?

For maximum effectiveness, this course is best conducted as an in-house program.

Venue: For your convenience, you can choose to conduct this course at your workplace. Alternatively, we can provide a training venue at a small additional cost.

Duration: Each course can be tailored to suit your timeframes. 

Look at what you receive within 24 hours at no cost:

  • An obligation free proposal
  • A bio of a proposed trainer
  • Training cost

The team at Preferred Training Networks can also provide you complementary training in a range of areas including conflict resolution courses, workplace behaviours courses, influencing skills training, facilitation courses and general staff development and training.

Dealing with Difficult People Training’ Course Outline

Module Topics Key Learning Outcomes
Module 1: Difficult Behaviours Recognising and Categorising Difficult Behaviours
  • Understanding different types of challenging behaviours
  • Identifying common triggers for difficult interactions
  • Determining the target audience for intervention strategies
Understanding the Psychology Behind Behaviour
  • Exploring why individuals exhibit difficult behaviours
  • Identifying patterns that lead to unproductive interactions
  • Recognising when behaviours are situational versus personality-driven
Common Types of Difficult Behaviour
  • Differentiating between aggressive, passive-aggressive, and resistant behaviours
  • Learning to adjust communication strategies based on behaviour type
  • Managing emotional responses when confronted with challenging individuals
Module 2: Behavioural Styles and Personal Awareness Understanding Behavioural Styles
  • Identifying different personality and communication styles
  • Using a styles questionnaire to assess behavioural preferences
  • Tailoring conversations
  • Recognising personal strengths and their potential overuse
Flexibility in Communication Approaches
  • Learning how to adapt to different communication styles
  • Adjusting responses based on the needs of the conversation
  • Maintaining control in high-pressure interactions
Managing Emotions Under Pressure
  • Recognising personal emotional triggers
  • Developing self-regulation techniques to stay composed
  • Using de-escalation methods to prevent situations from escalating
Module 3: Handling Anger and Conflict Escalation Understanding and Managing Anger
  • Exploring how anger affects communication and decision-making
  • Recognising signs of escalation and stopping the anger cycle
  • Implementing techniques to redirect emotional energy productively
The Role of Thoughts in Emotional Reactions
  • Understanding how thought patterns shape emotional responses
  • Challenging unhelpful thoughts to maintain control
  • Emotional Intelligence insights
  • Understanding self-conditioning
  • Using cognitive strategies to stay objective and solution-focused
Module 4: Strategic Communication for Difficult Interactions Avoiding Conflict Escalation
  • Recognising behaviours that intensify disagreements
  • Understanding how different value systems influence reactions
  • Utilising strategic withdrawals as a safety technique
  • Preventing unnecessary conflict through strategic dialogue
Choosing Language That De-Escalates Tension
  • Identifying words and phrases that trigger defensive reactions
  • Substituting inflammatory language with neutral phrasing
  • Ensuring clarity while maintaining a professional and calm tone

What you receive within 24 hours at no cost:

  • A program outline
  • Training cost
  • Possible training dates (if requested)

Course Video

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