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Description

Difficult Personalities at Work: Analysing Behaviour, Setting Boundaries and Securing Your HR Posture

Two days to address behaviours that destabilise a team without becoming trapped in the conflict

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

One employee challenges every decision, another consistently bypasses the reporting line, a third puts the team under tension through constant remarks. Human resources are usually called in late, once the situation has taken root and accounts of events contradict one another.

This 14-hour programme is designed for human resources professionals who already face these situations. It covers fact-based behavioural analysis, conducting boundary-setting interviews, the posture to adopt in the face of manipulation or victimisation, and coordination with line managers. The cases examined are brought by the participants themselves.

Learning objectives

  • Describe a problematic behaviour on the basis of observable and dated facts
  • Distinguish a one-off relational difficulty from an entrenched behaviour pattern
  • Conduct a boundary-setting interview focused on the impact on the team
  • Hold your posture in the face of challenge, manipulation and victimisation
  • Coordinate the human resources intervention with that of the line manager

What makes this programme different

The situations examined are brought by participants and anonymised in the session
Practice in boundary-setting interviews with counterparts who refuse the framework
A fact-based analysis template usable before any individual decision

Programme

1Analysing the Situation Before Acting

Facts, context and impact

  • Gathering dated and verifiable facts
  • Distinguishing between behaviour, temporary difficulty and workplace distress
  • Analysing the role of context and work organisation
  • Identifying the effects of the behaviour on the team

2Understanding the Underlying Dynamics

Challenge, withdrawal and control

  • Key markers of persistent challenging behaviour
  • Mechanisms of victimisation and blaming others
  • Effects of controlling behaviour on a team
  • Limits of psychological analysis in a professional setting

3Conducting the Interview

Setting boundaries without humiliating

  • Preparing the interview and selecting the facts to present
  • Formulating expectations and consequences
  • Responding to attempts to divert the interview
  • Formalising next steps and the review timeline

4Securing the Follow-Up and Supporting Managers

Team-level follow-up and decisions

  • Monitoring the commitments made during the interview
  • Supporting managers dealing with the same individual
  • Addressing the repercussions on the team
  • Moving to more formal measures and keeping a record of each step

Who is it for

Human resources managers and officers responsible for employee relations and people development, and managers who hold disciplinary responsibility.

Prerequisites

Hold a human resources or management role and be involved in handling individual employee situations.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.