How to have difficult conversations with challenging people

The Business School has an international reputation for excellence in teaching, research and commercial services. It is one of the largest Schools at Oxford Brookes University, employing more than 150 academic staff and home to 2,000 undergraduates and 500 postgraduate and research students.

The School's mission states that 'through a blending of critical enquiry and practical insight we seek to equip individuals around the world for effective and ethical leadership, management and professional practice in organisations.'

Benefits to individual and the organisation

The ability to deal effectively with difficult situations is paramount in the modern business environment. The ability to communicate, often remotely through a virtual and diverse environment, has become a vital skill in promoting and maintaining harmonious relationships. Benefits to the organisation are a more confident, efficient and flexible workforce, where people work well together, avoid crises, and take responsibility for their development.

The individual benefits from a greater level of confidence, being in control of their behaviour, able to handle situations better and take more initiatives. They save energy, can disagree convincingly, feel less stressed, are more tactful and receive positive feelings from others.

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for all categories of staff. It will help delegates learn the techniques we can employ to handle those difficult situations we all face from time to time. Staff members who have faced any of the following situations will benefit from the workshop:

• Being faced with unreasonable requests
• Feeling angry about the lack of cooperation from another department
• Having to convey a decision you know staff won't like
• Wanting to disagree with a point of view
• Making an important presentation having had little time to prepare
• Having to chase someone up who has promised to do something for you as a favour and then not done it

These situations make us feel uncomfortable, anxious, angry, frustrated, and sometimes lead to open conflict. They happen because our needs, wants and beliefs are different from those of other people involved. To handle these situations in a way acceptable to all parties, we have to learn to behave in a certain way.

Content

The workshop will begin by identifying each delegate's experiences and personal learning objectives. We ensure that these are all met by the end of the workshop.

A pragmatic and realistic approach to learning is ensured by asking delegates to think about and re-enact, a difficult situation which they have faced at work. The workshop is designed to allow experiential learning, where participants learn by doing. Delegates will work together as a whole group, in smaller groups, in pairs, and individually.

There will be a mixture of facilitator-led input, discussions, video clips, simulations, activities, peer and one-to-one coaching – all carefully designed to build skills, abilities and confidence.

Areas covered:

• Aggressive, submissive and assertive behaviour
• Transaction analysis and the OK Corral
• Behaviour options
• III Inventory
• Beliefs, rights and responsibilities
• Inner dialogue
• Non-verbal behaviour
• Techniques for dealing with difficult situations
• Dealing with conflict
• The ladder of assertion
• How to say 'no'
• Dealing with non-assertion from others
• Duration

The length of the workshop can be tailored to suit the organisation's requirements, however the minimum duration is two days.

Price

The price for a two-day programme is £7,200; this would be for up to 12 delegates. Additional delegates on the two-day programme are charged at £400 per delegate. Additional days, again for up to 12 delegates, would be charged at £3,600 per day. Delegates over the minimum of 12 are charged at £200 per delegate per additional day.

A certificate of attendance will be presented to the delegates at the end of the course.

For further information on How to have difficult conversations with challenging people contact our customer services team on +44 (0) 1865 485797 or email Amber Rose at