Tactful and Effective Methods for Dealing With Difficult Stakeholders with Frank Saladis
What You Will Learn
Upon completion of this training, learners will be able to:
- Explain the benefits realized through effective management of difficult stakeholders.
- Formulate potential responses to effectively engage with difficult stakeholders.
- Define the strategic and business benefits of managing difficult stakeholders.
Description
Managing daily project issues to complete objectives and meet client expectations is a challenge regardless of project size and complexity. Dealing with changing and seemingly unreasonable demands and requirements of clients often tests the ability of the project manager and project team to remain focused on the project deliverables. Project managers and teams must develop skills and techniques to assist them in maintaining an effective working relationship with their clients and recognize behaviors or situations that may lead to potential conflict, dissatisfaction, or strained working relationships. This training focuses on the importance of establishing a collaborative environment, setting and managing expectations, and dealing with clients who create difficult working environments.
Designed for project managers, project leaders, and managers who have direct contact with demanding clients and must establish effective working relationships, obtain requirements, negotiate changes, and manage client interfaces effectively, this training is a highly interactive and enjoyable experience.
In this training, you will learn how to identify the characteristics and tactics of difficult stakeholders whether they are clients, suppliers, coworkers, employees, or managers and develop strategies for creating a more effective and productive work environment. You will practice techniques that will assist in solving conflicts and removing barriers that reduce productivity, frustrate team members and coworkers, and slow organizational growth. This training will assist you in improving your ability to lead your team to higher levels of performance and to more effectively manage business relationships that contribute to desired outcomes. We will also address the concepts of emotional intelligence and the importance of emotional management.
AGENDA
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- Introductions and training expectations
- Small group exercise—Examples of actual difficult stakeholder situations
- Key principles of managing difficult stakeholders and primary actions when dealing with difficult people
- Leadership behaviors and prioritizing time—Small group exercise
- Leadership and conflict—Managing conflict, personal conflict assessment
- Working with people
- Benefits from dealing effectively with difficult stakeholders
- Fundamentals of human social interaction
- The four branches of emotional intelligence; emotional intelligence personal assessment
- Creating a “feelings vocabulary”
- Self-reflection—A starting point for managing difficult people
- Brief “after lunch reengagement exercise”
- Stakeholder management and benefits realization—The business benefits of managing difficult stakeholders
- Categories of difficult people
- Small group exercise—Peace, power, and influence
- Defining and understanding communications barriers—Small group exercise
- Managing difficult people—Identifying common tactics and behaviors frequently associated with difficult people
- Open discussion—Review of key topics, recommendations, and observations
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- Challenges of working with difficult people
- Strategies for dealing with difficult people
- Categorizing difficult people
- Tactics for dealing with difficult people
- Preparing for more effective communication
- Setting expectations
- Improving negotiation skills
- Don’t be difficult—Winning ways for a happier you and your team
- Fine-tuning leadership, team building, and influencing skills
- The importance of maintaining strong and positive relationships in the work environment
- Bringing it all together—Key takeaways
- Summary and next steps
- Close
PDU Allocation Table
| Ways of Working | Power Skills | Business Acumen | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPM® / PMI-CP™ / PMP® / PgMP® | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
| PMI-ACP® / Agile* | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
| PMI-SP® | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
| PMI-RMP® | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
| PfMP® | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
| PMI-PBA® | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14.00 |
 |  |  |  |
Instructor(s)
Frank P. Saladis PMP, PMI Fellow
Frank P. Saladis, PMP, is the president of Blue Marble Enterprizes, Inc. He has more than 35 years of experience working in the IT, telecom installation and project management training environment at AT&T and Cisco Systems, where he was responsible for large telecommunications and IT projects with capital budgets ranging from $3 million to $450 million USD.
Mr. Saladis is now a leading consultant, instructor, motivational speaker and an author within the discipline of professional project management. He has been providing training to aspiring and experienced project managers for more than 20 years.
He is the originator of International Project Management Day and was recognized as PMI Person of the Year for 2006. In addition, Mr. Saladis was awarded the prestigious title of PMI Fellow in October 2013 and received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in October 2015.