Program Overview

Centre for Continuing Education

The Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney offers a diverse range of professional development short courses. These courses are designed to enhance career prospects, improve technical and people skills, and support career progression.

Course Subjects

The Centre provides courses in various subjects, including:

• Business and management
  • Business communication
  • Business strategy
  • Business writing
  • Cultural competence and diversity
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Organisational psychology
  • Sales and customer service
• English
• HSC preparation (years 10-12)
  • HSC biology
  • HSC business studies
  • HSC chemistry
  • HSC economics
  • HSC English
  • HSC mathematics
  • HSC physics
  • Year 11 (Revision)
  • Years 10-12 study and essay skills
• Humanities and culture
  • Creative writing
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
• Information technology
  • Adobe
  • AI and machine learning courses
  • Data analysis and analytics
    • Business analytics
    • GIS
    • Git
    • Power BI
    • Python
    • R programming
    • Statistics
    • SQL
    • Tableau
  • Google
  • Microsoft
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Office
    • Microsoft Project
• Language
  • Arabic
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Chinese
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Spanish
• Marketing
  • Digital marketing
  • Marketing communications
  • Product development
• Project management
  • Agile methodology courses
  • Change management for projects
  • Stakeholder and people management
  • Technical project management skills

Dealing with Difficult Behaviours at Work Course

This course teaches strategies to handle challenging behaviours in the workplace. It offers practical tools for staying calm, assertive, and solution-focused, helping participants manage tough conversations and resolve conflicts professionally.

Course Details

• Duration: 1 session, 8 hours total
• Next date: 17 February 2026
• Delivery mode: Face-to-face (venue TBA)
• Cost: A$700.00 - A$750.00

Course Information

The course covers the why, what, and how of dealing with difficult behaviour. Participants learn through various methods, including small group discussions, role plays, written exercises, and Q&A sessions.

Aims

This introductory course is designed for professionals who need to manage disagreements, complaints, or 'personality clashes' at work. The techniques covered can be used when interacting with colleagues, direct reports, and customers.

Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Stay calm when handling difficult behaviour or managing disagreements
• Speak assertively and respectfully, even in tough situations
• Respond to a range of challenging behaviours in ways that de-escalate conflict
• Use five communication tools to connect and collaborate in tough situations
• Take a win-win approach to resolving differences of opinion

Content

The course covers topics such as:

• Handling difficult behaviour assertively
• Communication success kit
• Dealing with passive communicators
• Handling passive-aggression
• Dealing with aggression
• Managing conflict constructively

Intended Audience

The course is suitable for all managers, team leaders, supervisors, and individuals wishing to enhance their skills in dealing with difficult people or aggressive behaviour in the workplace.

Delivery Modes

The course is available in face-to-face and online formats.

Delivery Style

The course is interactive, covering the why, what, and how of dealing with difficult behaviour. Participants learn through various methods, including small group discussions, role plays, written exercises, and Q&A sessions.

Materials

Course notes are provided electronically using Dropbox.

Organisational Training

For groups of six or more, courses can be delivered to teams with the option to tailor content.

Related Courses

Related courses include:

• Advanced Communication Skills for Leaders Course
• Assertive Communication and Conversation Skills: Practical Training Course
• Assertive Communication Skills Course: Advanced
• Coaching Skills for Managers Course
• Interpersonal Skills and Effective Communication Course
• Managing Difficult Conversations and Under Performance Course
• Risk Management Course & Corporate Governance

Meet the Facilitators

Eleanor Shakiba is an expert in positive psychology and has taught over 50,000 people to think and speak in ways that build success.

What Others Say

Participants have praised the course, stating that it provides a solid theoretical background and practical solutions for dealing with difficult people. The course has been described as engaging, insightful, and empowering, with participants feeling confident and equipped to make changes in the workplace and personal life.