Dealing with Defensiveness

One of the hardest parts of managing people is dealing with Defensiveness… the other person’s and your own!

As a manager... or simply being human... not a day goes by where you don’t have to deal with Defensiveness, in some form.

While Defensiveness is a ‘normal’ human behaviour it can get in the way of our ability to communicate with others and achieve our desired outcome.

It can feel like we’re going around in circles… or backwards even!

It can be incredibly frustrating!

However, if you know how to identify Defensiveness, understand it and handle it in an effective way before it takes hold, your discussions can be focused on the future... on solutions and next steps...

Instead of being stuck in protectiveness... the past... and who’s to blame.

Usually, when we think of Dealing with Defensiveness we think of those other difficult people out there...

We don’t think of our own defensiveness.

But it’s very difficult to deal with other people’s defensiveness if you don’t first learn to deal with your own.

Those who don't learn to curb their defensiveness make life difficult for themselves and those who live and work with them.

People who are consistently defensive can be difficult to be around.

Their chronically defensive behaviour promotes conflict and divisiveness... encourages rigid thinking that stifles creativity... and brings out defensiveness (and often fear) in others.

This course is all about How to Deal with Defensiveness in a skilful, emotionally intelligent way.

You will learn how to:

• Recognise the different types of defensiveness (in yourself and others)

• Understand the causes of defensiveness and what’s really going on when it sets in

• Use some powerful tips and strategies to defuse the defensiveness, move the conversation forward and achieve your outcomes