Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People Skills Blog

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Chris Farmer's Leadership and Management Training Blog

Welcome - the purpose of the blog page is to provide you with a never ending source of valuable, practical and entertaining information designed to help you get the best performance from yourself and others.

In these blogs you will find all the information you need to make faster progress in less time and effort. Here you will find all the information you need to achieve your goals. In addition to helping yourself to achieve your goals, you can use the same information to help others to achieve their goals.

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Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People Skills Blogs

Conflict is inevitable.

Conflict is inevitable because people do not all share the same ideas.

We all have different ideas about what is true, what is good and what is possible.

And we all have different ways of behaving. These differences cause conflict. Therefore you need to know how to handle conflict properly.

If conflicts are handled properly they can be beneficial. Because when two ideas collide, they can stimulate a third idea which was better than either one of them taken singly.

Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People Skills Blogs

Fixing Bad Relationships At Work

2 April 2024

Struggling with conflict? Fixing workplace relationships needs clarity, rationality and positivity. Use calm language, drop verbal anger and rebuild trust.

Is the Karpman Drama Triangle Good for Resolving Conflicts?

8 November 2022

Discover why the Karpman Drama Triangle fails and how a clear, rational, positive approach creates faster, fairer conflict management that benefits every side.

Dealing With Conflicts of Interest Within a Team

28 June 2022

Learn proven steps for conflicts of interest in teams: link every choice to the company aim, apply the three-circle compromise, and let a decision maker act.

How to Deal With Difficult Employees

17 November 2021

Learn how to handle difficult employees through a fair six-step plan that names behaviour, seeks commitment, and cuts workplace conflict and lifts results.

Dealing With Difficult Behaviour At Work

25 October 2019

Learn ten clear steps to handle difficult behaviour at work, defuse emotion, find facts and agree future-focused solutions that lift team performance.

How to Manage Bullying In the Workplace

7 December 2018

Learn how to manage workplace bullying with a twelve-step process, legal tips and policy advice. Stop physical, verbal and positional abuse; protect teams.

De-Escalation Skills

16 October 2018

Master conflict de-escalation skills: pause anger, use calm words, focus on facts and find middle ground to restore teamwork and cut costly disputes at work.

Conflict Resolution Skills

7 September 2018

Learn seven conflict resolution skills, from listening and questioning to negotiation and emotional control, to end workplace conflict fast and cut costs.

Dispute Resolution

17 July 2018

Learn five dispute resolution options-persuasion, negotiation, coercion, force and walking away-and see when each suits conflict at work before it harms results

How to Handle the Workplace Bully

4 May 2018

Learn practical ways to tackle workplace bullying: say no, collect evidence, know the law and guide managers to act fast. Handle a bully at work confidently.

How to Handle a Complaint

28 March 2018

Learn how to handle complaints with a six-step method: listen, empathise, question, answer, confirm and redirect. Boost service quality and retain customers.

How to Deal With a Bully At Work

6 March 2018

Learn how to deal with a bully at work in seven assertive steps: refuse subservience, name bad behaviour, set limits, and know when to report bullying.

Grievances At Work

29 September 2017

Prevent grievances at work and handle employee complaints fast with a six-step method that cuts costs and boosts morale through clear manager communication.

Top Ten Conflict Management Techniques

26 September 2017

Learn ten conflict management techniques to resolve workplace disputes fast, cut stress and boost team productivity by 26%, according to recent surveys.

How to Deal With Lazy People At Work

11 April 2017

Stop carrying others' load. Learn how to confront lazy people at work, set SMART goals, use praise and fair warning, and keep effort high for team success.

How to Handle Workplace Conflict

10 June 2016

Learn how to handle workplace conflict with calm talk, exact facts and positive action. Follow clear steps to avoid misunderstandings and resolve issues fast.

How to Handle Conflict Situations

28 August 2015

Learn conflict management skills that turn workplace clashes into progress. Apply clear facts, good timing, calm body language and praise for resolution.

Using Reason to Handle Difficult People

5 June 2015

Use reason, facts and fair limits to handle difficult people, cut conflict time and build respect. Discover logical tips that turn heated talks into teamwork.

How to Handle a Difficult Person In Six Easy Steps

10 April 2015

Learn a proven six step method to handle a difficult person, switch anger to calm, reach clear deals, and close talks with less stress at work or home every day

How to Deal With Conflict Situations

27 March 2015

Learn a simple three-step conflict management method: stay calm, state facts, ask for change. Boost communication skills and resolve workplace clashes fast.

How to Give Feedback

27 January 2015

Learn how to give feedback that lifts performance: public praise, private clear correction and zero insults. Rules and examples for managers and teams.

Six Rules for Better Conflict Management

21 October 2014

Use six conflict management rules: stay logical, use facts, see reason over excuse, know when to compromise, and praise progress to stop conflict early.

6 Step Method to Handle Difficult People

9 June 2014

Use this clear six-step conflict management method to handle difficult people, calm anger, find facts, give fair answers and close conversations with confidence

Conflict Resolution Training - How to Manage Conflict

7 May 2014

Conflict resolution training helps staff replace anger with facts, choose worthy battles and keep core principles. Learn rational skills to manage conflict.

Management Skills Training - Giving Constructive Criticism

5 March 2014

Learn how to give constructive criticism that fixes mistakes, lifts performance and protects team morale. Clear steps, real examples, expert tips for managers.

How to Deal With a Smelly Person At Work

29 April 2013

Need to tackle body odour at work? Learn a simple, six-step script to hold a private, respectful talk, handle every reply, and keep trust and team morale intact

Reason Vs Excuse

20 December 2011

Master reason vs excuse, determined vs stubborn, fact vs opinion and insult vs criticism to slash delays, speed decisions and lead teams with clear thinking.

Communication and Conflict Resolution Training

17 November 2011

Learn workplace conflict resolution skills that separate ideas from behaviour, sharpen communication, and guide your team from dispute to productive harmony.

Blog Categories

Accelerated Learning (6)

Accelerated learning techniques are special methods of organising information, so that you can more rapidly memorise and more accurately recall it on demand. Accelerated learning also includes mind mapping and creative thinking techniques.

Assertiveness (5)

Assertiveness is a both a communication style and a mind-set which, when combined, allows a people to express their meaning using just the amount of forcefulness, in relation to their body language, voice tone and spoken language.

Change Management (16)

Change management training is how to use the fact of continuous change, to work FOR you, rather than against you. It is a fact that all improvement implies change, but many people hate change. Change management is about training people to love change as a means of making the future better.

Coaching, Mentoring and Developing Staff (10)

There is a pressing need to develop the next generation of leaders, managers and technical experts. One way to develop staff is through coaching and mentoring. To be an effective coach and mentor is not an easy skill to master. These blogs discuss the skills of coaching, mentoring and staff development.

Communication - Clear Communication (82)

One to the most important facets of communication is clarity. Whenever you write or speak, your words should denote only one possible meaning. If your words can be properly interpreted in multiple ways, then you are creating the conditions for confusion, error and misunderstanding. These blogs discuss the nature of clear communication.

Communication - Listening Skills (6)

Communication includes the ability to attend to, understand and memorise what people say to you. Effective Listening is an active, not a passive process. These bloggs discuss what it takes to be a good listener.

Communication - Nonverbal Communication (8)

Communication includes a large visual component. How you appear, as you speak, makes a big difference to how your message is received. These blogs are about how to best use your body language. (Eye contact, posture, dress, hand and arm gestures, etc.)

Communication - Persuasive Communication (41)

Persuasion is the art of convincing others that your ideas are good, right, fair and practical, and in addition, persuasion includes motivating people to put your ideas into action. Persuasion is a key communication skill that everyone should study. These blogs discuss how to be more persuasive.

Communication - Written Communication (5)

A part of your communication is in the written form. Writing well is a skill that most people do not study, though it is of immense importance. These blogs discuss how you might improve your written communication.

Conflict Management and Handling Difficult People (28)

Conflict is inevitable, and when it occurs, you need to resolve it quickly and efficiently. Conflict management (and handling difficult people) is about managing your communication and your emotions, so that you arrive at a negotiated solution as quickly as possible. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can best manage conflict.

Decision Making and Problem Solving (22)

Decision making is the skill of selecting the best option from many options. And problem solving is the skill at determining the causes and implications of a problem and finding efficient remedies. This series of blogs discusses the elements of effective decision making and problem solving.

Goal Setting (9)

Success is the achievement of a worthwhile goal. And therefore, the first step to achieving a goal is to set it. Goal setting is the starting point of all achievement and is one of the most important topics you could study. This series of blogs discuss the elements of goal setting.

Leadership and Management (152)

Leadership is the art of setting a clear goal and inspiring others to achieve it. Management is the art of organising resources so as to most efficiently achieve that goal. This series of blogs discuss the details of leadership and management.

Mental Health (12)

Mental health is the skill of managing your own mind so as to achieve mental stability and a high degree of rationality. Mental ill health is the opposite, mental instability and irrational actions. This series of blogs, discusses how you might manage your mind.

Motivation (35)

Motivation is an emotion that induces action. Without motivation, nobody would achieve anything of value. This series of blogs discusses the various ways you can motivate yourself and others.

Other (45)

Whilst interesting and informative in their own right, these blogs don't fit into a category.

People Management (13)

People management is a combination of skills including goal setting, communication, planning, handling conflict and motivation skills. This series of blogs discusses people management skills.

Personal Development (75)

The best investment you can make is in your own personal development. If you develop your skills, knowledge and experience, then you will maximise your potential to produce excellent results. This series of blogs looks at the details of personal development.

Personal Effectiveness (87)

You are not paid for how hard you work; you are paid for your effectiveness. It is possible to improve your effectiveness and get more valuable work done in less time and effort. This series of blogs discusses how you might improve your personal effectiveness and therefore speed up your rate of progress.

Positive Thinking (9)

The quality of your results is based upon the quality of your actions. And your actions are controlled by your thoughts. To simultaneously improve both your material results and your mental health, it is vital to develop the skills of positive thinking.

Stress Management (4)

Stress can be both good for you and bad for you. Good Stress triggers improvement. Bad stress grinds you down. Stress management is about using stress to help you to improve, and to avoid the negative effects of too much stress. These blogs discuss the various aspects of stress management.

Supervisory Management Skills (4)

Supervisory management skills are a combination of five major skill sets, setting goals, communication skills, planning, performance management and motivation. These blogs discuss the details of supervisory management skills.

Team Leadership (7)

For the most part, we all work in teams. Leading the team effectively can make all the difference to the performance of the team, as a whole. This series of blogs discuss the details of team leadership.

Teamwork (19)

Teams are often composed of people who have very different personalities and skills. In order to perform well, the members of the team must work well together and play to each other’s strengths. This series of blogs covers the importance of team work skills.

Time Management (17)

Time management is about prioritising, planning, organising and delegating, so that, at any moment, you are always adding the most value, and setting the conditions for your future success. This series of blogs investigates how you might better manage your time.