What every manager should know

Manipulation is deliberate and calculated behaviour. Which means that whenever you are confronted with it, you are entering a game of chess. One that you will have to play, whether you like  it or not. For if you refuse to make any countermoves, you will automatically lose.

Manipulation is a growing problem, which can be very disruptive for an organization. As one single skilful manipulator within a team can cost management about 80% of their time.

Next to that, there are many different professions wherein manipulation can be encountered on an almost daily basis. This happens most when you are in a position where others want something from you – or when you have to impose something on them they definitely do not want. Like for example when working in education, at benefit agencies, with juvenile delinquents, as a police officer, a lawyer, a company doctor, in customer services, as a government official, or in one of many other professions requiring you to negotiate, or to make decisions for or over others.

Every move has its countermove

As soon as manipulation is involved, you will find that your usual conversation techniques just don’t work anymore. They can even have a completely opposite effect, for many manipulators are very skilled at turning everything you do against you.

The only effective solution then is to use specific counter techniques, designed to undo the forms of manipulation being used  – and to let you gain back control.

Just like all our training programs, these special counter-manipulation skills can be taught in courses of different levels and duration. Varying from short workshops – helping you to recognize what really happens in certain interactions – to a complete Master Program.

Master Program in counter-manipulation

This program is designed for people who get to deal with various kinds of manipulation on a regular basis. Here you will learn about all important forms of manipulation, from the simple and casual to the most serious and impactful. And you will acquire practical skills in the three steps of taking control over it: Recognize, Categorize, Counter

Recognize:

For the pitfall that gets you is always the one that you didn’t see

The first step is to learn to distinguish sincere behaviour from manipulation, and to know the specific signs which always accompany manipulation attempts.

A man walks into the lobby of an office, and gets a panic attack. This results in him being brought in, and getting exactly the service he needed. Was his behaviour sincere, or did he fake the attack to manipulate his surroundings? In this course you’ll learn that one single question can let you distinguish with certainty between these two options.

Categorize:

There are many different manipulation techniques, and each one has its own countermove.

So the better you recognize which specific technique is being used, the better you’ll be able to counter it and take control over the situation.

Level one techniques are relatively easy to defend against, and usually they don’t do much harm. Against a level four manipulator you will always have to act as soon as possible, and you may even need to consider calling the police.

Counter:

In this Master Program you’ll learn all the effective countermoves, both at an organizational or strategic level, and in personal and conversational situations.

A technique very popular among our techniques is what we call Verbal Judo: the art of turning the manipulative behaviour around so it works to your advantage – and this without the need to engage in an open confrontation or conflict.

Alternatively, we also offer:

Tailor-Made Reaction Programs

In many business situations, employees only get to do with a limited range of manipulative techniques. For these companies, we offer training programs with a different approach:

Our experts will organize meetings with your employees, to analyse and categorize the behaviour they are confronted with. Effective responses will then be designed by us.

Next, the employees will be trained in using these responses, giving them more control over the situation and making them more effective in their everyday work.

This is a fast and cost-effective way to enhance the capabilities and assertiveness of your staff.

Contact us!

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our presentations or training programs, or want to know how they can benefit you or your organization