Online Class: How to Deal with Difficult Personalities

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
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11Lessons
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17Exams &
Assignments -
6,918Students
have taken this course -
7Hours
average time -
0.7CEUs
Course Description
If you can't stop thinking about a problem with someone at work- be it a bullying boss, a subversive coworker, or a sexist client- it's important to know that you can take control of the situation. This class will allow students to explore what feeds these kinds of behaviors, ways to address these situations, and when to call for outside assistance.
- An overview of your rights in the workplace
- Simple tips for reducing stress on the job
- Establishing boundaries
- Effective collaboration
- Conflict resolution
- Interpreting body language
- Coping with aggressive behavior
- Dealing with critics and power freaks
- Working with slackers and energy vampires
- Avoiding the gossip mill
- Gender differences in the workplace
- What to do when prejudice rears its ugly head
- Standing up to a bullying boss
Course Motivation
If you can't stop thinking about a problem with someone at work -- be it a bullying boss, a subversive coworker, or a sexist client -- it's important to know that you can take control of the situation. This class will allow you to explore what feeds these kinds of behaviors, ways to address these situations, and when to call for outside assistance.
You'll learn to identify various types of difficult personalities and address conflict, hopefully before it begins to chip away at your well-being and job satisfaction. By the conclusion of the course, you will have increased your ability to handle aggressive, manipulative, undermining, prejudiced, or otherwise difficult behavior.
But first things first, let's start with an overview of your rights in the workplace.
All employees have basic rights in the workplace -- including the right to privacy, fair compensation, and freedom from sexual harassment and discrimination based on age, gender, race, national origin, or religion. Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Act gives you the right to have a safe and hazard-free workplace.
Good to Know
Your right to privacy applies to your personal possessions, like your handbag, briefcase, storage locker, and private mail addressed to you. However, the right to privacy is widely thought to be the most commonly violated principle in the workplace. Additionally, employers can, and often do, legally monitor information that many of us might assume is protected by our right to privacy -- particularly electronic information such as email, web history, and even keystrokes. Employers also frequently monitor numbers dialed, call duration, and/or tape conversations. Your employer also has the right to use surveillance cameras to monitor employee behavior. The bottom line: Take steps to protect your private information.
Now that you're aware of the absolute minimum that you should expect from your work environment, here are a few ideas that may prevent or diffuse workplace problems before they spiral into major issues.
Bring your favorite kind of tea to work instead of drinking whatever they've stocked the kitchen area with. Keep healthy snacks at your desk to keep you going in case a problem holds you up at work. If you find the noise of your co-workers distracting, keep earplugs on hand, or invest in a pair of noise canceling headphones, like those made by Bose -- if it's considered acceptable in your place of work to do so.
These are small things, but they can all help keep you connected to yourself. Sometimes keeping a single photograph of someone you love at your desk can be the thing that keeps you from cracking at a difficult moment. It can help you keep things in perspective: There are things in your life far more important than whatever is wrong in this moment.
If it's nice outside, make sure to take at least a few minutes out of the day and take a walk around the block, or eat in the courtyard. Take at least a small amount of time out of the day to separate yourself completely from your job - - read a book or make a quick call to say hello to a friend or loved one. Other ways to feel your best at work:
- Create a morning pre-work ritual, like meditation, stretching or reading, that will set a relaxed tone for the rest of the day.
- Eat breakfast, limit caffeine intake and eat healthier, lighter foods during the day.
- Exercise every day, if possible.
- Get enough sleep.
- Seek gratification outside of your job by maintaining your hobbies and interests outside of work.
- Take a two-day getaway break to do what restores and energizes you – and not just on the weekends.
- Take your vacation time, and use it to get out of town and enjoy yourself. Reserve those days on your calendar as far in advance as possible.
- Don't stay late or take work home every night. All of the self-help books are right: You will regret making work your whole life. Look around at your coworkers who seem to have done so. Do they look happy to you? They key is to work smart, not just hard. If you're having trouble juggling your workload, make sure you are prioritizing the most important tasks first. Take a course or read a book on time management and put that advice into action.
Assume that anything you say or do, including at the office happy hour, will be subject to discussion by anyone and everyone at the company. Do not disclose any information or behave in a way that you feel could be used to damage your reputation and potential for career advancement. It's almost always in your best interest to leave your personal life at the door. Don't treat your boss like a surrogate father. Don't tell everyone about your breakup. Don't make doctor's appointments or personal calls at your desk. If you have to ask yourself, "Should I talk about this at work?" you probably shouldn't.
If someone crosses a boundary with you, by speaking to you disrespectfully, asking you overly personal questions, touching you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, or not upholding your rights in the workplace, you must address it immediately, clearly, calmly, and directly. This can be a very difficult thing to do -- so start practicing now. Dr. Phil made this line famous, but it's not a new idea: You teach people how to treat you. Demonstrate a level of self-respect, and it's far less likely that you will be disrespected.
If a situation arises in which you feel as if you cannot remain calm, or if the person continues to behave in an aggressive manner, make it clear that you won't tolerate the behavior, and walk away. Address the situation when you are both feeling calmer, or if you feel it is necessary, bring in another party to mediate the situation.
Carry your own weight when collaborating on a project. Make a point to be respectful of your co-workers and promote a positive working environment. Don't join the gossip mill or contribute to negative energy circulating in the office. Don't associate with those who are disrespectful to other people. If someone is being bullied or disrespected in your presence, tell the bully that they're making you feel uncomfortable. Some people bully others to show off, just like on the playground at school. Don't let those people think that you are impressed. Most likely, if you call them out, they'll be embarrassed and stop.
Being aware of your rights and establishing boundaries in the workplace can prevent a great deal of in-office conflict, and when conflict does arise -- you'll be in a much better position to resolve it.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1 : Course Introduction
Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Difficult People; Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete: Lesson 1 Assignment: Are You a Difficult Person?
Assessment: Lesson 1: Course Introduction
Lesson 2 : Basic Conflict Resolution
Lesson 2 Video
Assessment: Lesson 2: Basic Conflict Resolution
Lesson 3: Understanding Body Language
Lesson 3 Video
Assessment: Lesson 3: Understanding Body Language
Lesson 4: Bullies
Lesson 4 Video
Assessment: Lesson 4: Bullies
Lesson 5: Power Struggles: Handling Critics, Rivals, and Power Freaks
Lesson 5 Video
Lesson discussions: Rivalry
Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 5: Power Struggles: Handling Critics, Rivals and Power Freaks With Panache
Lesson 6: Slackers and Energy Vampires
Lesson 6 Video
Assessment: Lesson 6: Slackers and Energy Vampires
Lesson 7: Office Gossip
Lesson 7 Video
Assessment: Lesson 7: Gossip Girls (and Guys)
Lesson 8: Problematic Personalities
Lesson 8 Video
Complete: Lesson 8 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 8: Problematic Personalities
Lesson 9: When Men and Women Collide: Gender Differences in the Workplace
Lesson 9 Video
Assessment: Lesson 9: When Men and Women Collide: Gender Differences In The Workplace
Lesson 10: When The Bully Is Your Boss
Lesson 10 Video
Complete: Lesson 10 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 10: When The Bully Is Your Boss
Lesson 11: Successful Collaboration
Lesson 11 Video
Lesson discussions: Collaboration; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
Assessment: Lesson 11: Successful Collaboration
Assessment: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Describe basic conflict resolution processes.
- Evaluate body language.
- Identify bullies.
- Recognize power struggles.
- Describe and identify slackers and energy vampires.
- Recognize office gossip and its effects on the workplace.
- Recognize and reconcile problematic personalities.
- Describe methods for dealing with a bully as a boss.
- Describe benefits of successful collaboration.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
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Includes CEUs |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "Learning how to deal with difficulty personalities in the workplace is important because it teaches us coping mechanisms on how to handle them. For example, a novice worker can easily be swayed into a group of gossiping workers or be in a harmful situation by becoming a victim of bullying. Often we do not learn these defense techniques until much later in our working life. I would recommend this course be taught even earlier perhaps in secondary education before someone enters the workplace. Thank you!" -- Amanda H.
- "I really appreciated this course! It was a good reminder of how to treat others in the workplace and how I want to be treated. It gave me some good pointers on how to deal with difficult people as well as not being one myself. Thank you!" -- Penny C.
- "I thought this course was extremely useful, helpful and insightful and it has given me the tools I need if bullying at work ever happens again. Thank you." -- Suzanne D.
- "I like this instructor very much. Gets to the point with easy to understand options on how to handle different situations. Good examples." -- Robin F.
- "A lot of this material I already knew about just from being in the work force for so many years. However, the teacher introduced some new coping techniques that never occurred to me, and I am grateful for that." -- Gretchen T.
- "I think the course was well thought out, easy to follow, and very informative and nicely broken into down into lessons." -- Cheryl E.
- "I am really please with this course. This course made me realize just how much I have been a victim of bullying in the workplace." -- April M.
- "I very much respect this instructor. I've taken several classes by him and I find him to be very knowledgeable and organizes his lessons in a way that makes sense." -- Brianna O.
- "This was a great class that provides you with invaluable skills and tools to better deal with people that are difficult. I liked the instructor and she had all assignments and examsgraded in a ttimely fashion." -- Megan M.
- "I thought the variety of activities and resources presented throughout each lesson made the course very interesting. I used the supplemental materials and these were also quite helpful." -- Beth M.
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