In most teams, employees tend to be typecast into roles—there’s the natural leader, the skeptic, the problem solver, and inevitably, the agitator—the one whose behavior seems to stir up trouble, whether intentional or not.
Once these roles are assigned, whether earned or not, they often stick.
It’s a lot like school days, where the class roles were familiar: the teacher’s pet, the slacker, the rebel, the troublemaker, and the class clown. Good or bad, unless a student changed schools, they were stuck with that identity.
In the workplace, these dynamics play out much the same way. One fascinating aspect of identity is that the more we’re labeled, the more we embody that label.
When aggression arises at work, it’s easy to single out an individual as the “troublemaker,” focusing all efforts on fixing or removing them. However, the truth is that conflict isn’t about one person. We all play a role in workplace dynamics, and most of us, at some point, exhibit aggressive or passive-aggressive behaviors. At times, any of us can be the "problem child."
What’s needed is a shift in perspective. Instead of boxing someone in as the bad actor, assuming everything will be fine if they’re removed, we must look deeper. The issue isn’t usually a person, but the behaviors they display and how those behaviors interact with the broader team environment.
By understanding the underlying causes of these behaviors and how the entire team contributes to them, real change becomes possible.
This is where Navigating Aggression in High-Stress Work Environments comes in.
In this two-day training, participants will engage in hands-on exercises, role-play scenarios, and group discussions to uncover the root causes of challenging behaviors. They’ll learn practical tools to address and move beyond incidents of aggression—whether it’s hostile communication, microaggressions, workplace bullying, passive aggression, or other toxic behaviors.
By the end of the training, team members will have developed greater empathy for one another and gained the skills needed to create a culture of respect, trust, and courageous communication. This leads to improved morale and stronger, more cohesive teams.
Whether participants are facing difficult colleagues, tense client interactions, or cross-departmental conflicts, this training equips them with the ability to foster a healthier work environment, manage confrontation effectively, and channel aggressive energy into productive communication and problem-solving.
If your organization is dealing with high-stress dynamics and interpersonal conflict, this training is for you.
