Disarming Defensiveness
Overview
Conflict and tension can show up in conversations when we least expect it. When our defenses shut down conversation and learning, we miss out on valuable knowledge that could help us grow. By understanding our instinctive emotional responses and learning how to communicate through them, we can empower our teams to use tension to improve our skills, rather than letting it divide us. This session focuses on identifying defensive communication patterns in our conversations and implementing communication strategies to disarm their impact on our teams.
Training Details & Format
2 Hours Â
Live Virtual Session or In-Person Session
Unlimited Participants
Learning Objectives
Explain how defensiveness manifests in behavior and communication.
Examine and evaluate the effects of identity-related defensiveness on interpersonal and team interactions.
Implement techniques to enhance connection and reduce disconnection in workplace interactions.
Skills & Core Concepts Addressed
Self Protection vs Group Protection
Interpersonal Effectiveness Goals
Interpersonal Effectiveness SkillsÂ
Why this? Why now?
There is a growing fear of conflict in the workplace; however, when communication stalls, problems increase. Understanding why people become defensive, how to respond effectively, and how to build a team-based approach to diffuse this tension not only reduces the overall anxiety individuals are feeling but can support teams in more consistent and effective communication.
What is Artesian Collaborative’s approach to this issue?
We often receive tips and techniques in a vacuum, and they become useless when faced with the intensity of emotional responses and dynamics. This training breaks down and normalizes defensiveness, provides space for participants to understand their own defensiveness, and begin practicing those skills in situations that have low stakes but mimic real-life workplace scenarios so they will have more useful future applications.
Participant Feedback
"This has been my favorite training so far by you guys! Sparked great conversations with my coworkers.
We need more of this!"
"Great job creating a safe space to share for people across [anonymous organization] hierarchy. Amazing job!"
"Dr. Chandy is an amazing presenter and very helpful and very real. She makes the [professional development] day worth attending."
"I liked using low stakes topics to practice discussions and use as example. It helped me understand better than using an actual controversial topic."
Our Training Team
As trained mental health professionals, our passion is to help people navigate pain and turn it into growth. Many corporate training programs are great at helping us address the symptoms of tension and conflict, but rarely get to the root of why we feel and act the way that we do. At Artesian Collaborative we believe that tension, conflict and discomfort are not merely problems to be solved. They are opportunities that, when used correctly, can transform our organizations, our relationships and ourselves.
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As we train your team our primary goals are to:
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Help your organization build a culture that supports psychological and emotional health.
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Guide your team through tension and conflict in a way that builds understanding of themselves and others.
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Facilitate interactive and interpersonal workshops that help teams experience positive interactions in the moment that can serve as a model for healthy organizational culture.
Sunitha Chandy Psy.D.
