TOT 78: Handling Difficult People

This exercise is to be done in refresher courses or in advanced trainings

Step 1:

A role play is chosen with multiple characters. ( not less than 6 )

Role play has to be circulated one day in advance to the participants chosen to play specific roles.

Amongst chosen participants one will play the role of mediator.

This role play is to be played on the stage, and other participants watch.

As the role play proceeds, the trainer gives slips to each of the participants, as and when the trainer feels it appropriate.

Some samples of the slips with a single line instruction note that can be given to each of the participants:-

1. Be an objector 

Raise objection/s to anything and everything. Try to deviate the mediation process.

2. Aggressor

Change the tone. Be very aggressive. Be very demanding.  Reflect on “My way or No way” attitude.   

3. Dominator

Start giving directions to the mediator – the other parties. .tell as to what all others should do.

Use commanding language.

4. Attention seeker

Instead of talking about the subject in issue, start talking about yourself. How good, famous, and reliable you are. Start telling about your achievements etc.

All the slips should not be given to all the participants at a time.

It should be given as and when the situation arises.

Step 2: Debriefing

Ask the participants to recollect what participant A, B, C, D, E, F and Mediator was doing?

If they fail to identify help them understand

Discuss with the mediator, as to the difficulties faced by him/her in handling these people.

Help them with necessary tips to overcome such situations in actual mediations.

Advantages

1. It helps the participants to learn the skills of handling difficult people and difficult situations.
2. Helps to effectively separate the people from the problem
3. Helps the participants to understand whether the parties are bringing in impasse as a strategy?
4. Helps them identify if there is fake impasse? 
5. This exercise is very helpful in making participants understand different conflict styles, negotiation styles, different types of bargaining, different types of impasse.
6. Helps participants understand the nuances of the mediation process very well.
7. It brings professional touch to the role plays
8. The competence of the trainer gets reflected. 

Trainer has to use innovative ideas to write the slip then and there and pass it on to the participants.

‘Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.’

Anton Chekhov
Russian Playwriting and Short Story Writer

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All copyrights reserved by the author S. Susheela