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Description

Nonviolent Communication for Managers: Observe, Express and Request

Raise what is not working with a team member without triggering defensiveness and without lowering your standards

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

Addressing repeated lateness, announcing an additional workload, handling tension between two team members: managers know that the message fails when the delivery puts people on the defensive. Avoiding the conversation altogether allows the situation to settle in and shifts the discomfort onto the rest of the team.

Two days to master the four-step nonviolent communication approach and apply it to real management situations: observing facts, expressing the effect of the situation, identifying the underlying need and formulating a negotiable request. Practice sessions are built on cases brought by participants.

Learning objectives

  • Distinguish factual observation from judgement and interpretation
  • Express the effect of a situation without attacking the person
  • Identify the need behind a complaint or an objection
  • Formulate a precise and negotiable request
  • Conduct a performance conversation using the four-step approach
  • Receive a hostile remark without responding in kind

What makes this programme different

The four steps are practised on genuine management situations
Conversations are role-played then reviewed sequence by sequence
The same case is replayed at the end of the session to measure progress

Programme

1Observing Without Judging

Separating facts from interpretation

  • Spot the judgements hidden within an apparently factual statement
  • Describe a behaviour in observable terms
  • Date and situate the facts you intend to raise
  • Prepare the opening of a sensitive conversation

2Expressing the Effect

Speaking about yourself rather than the other person

  • Name the impact of the situation on the work and on yourself
  • Move away from the language of accusation
  • Stand by your requirements without aggression
  • Manage your own rising tension

3Identifying the Need

Hearing what lies behind the words

  • Distinguish the need from the solution being demanded
  • Listen to a complaint without immediately contradicting it
  • Reformulate to check your understanding
  • Draw out the other person's need through questioning

4Formulating the Request

Closing on a commitment

  • Turn an implicit expectation into a precise request
  • Make the request negotiable without abandoning the framework
  • Handle a refusal and look for an alternative
  • Set a follow-up point

Who is it for

Front-line managers, team leaders and department heads with line management responsibility.

Prerequisites

Currently leading a team or taking up a management role.

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.