This page was translated from Dutch with AI.
Dealing with aggression
Tensions and conflicts are part of every working environment. Aggression, whether verbal, physical or emotional, can damage your working atmosphere and the well-being of your colleagues. In this in-company workshop you learn to recognise and understand aggression, and turn it into a constructive conversation. The workshop is 1 half-day for 6 to 12 participants.
Do you recognise this?
A customer is at your desk or on the phone and their voice goes up. Before you realise it, you hear yourself talking faster and you feel your heart pounding.
You want to stay calm and still draw a line, but at that moment neither works. Afterwards it lingers: you replay the conversation in your head and wonder what you should have said.
Aggression at work is tough, and:
- you only notice it when the situation has already escalated;
- you do not understand where the behaviour comes from;
- you do not know how to stay calm and set a boundary;
- conversations get stuck instead of moving towards a solution.
Aggression has a destructive impact on your working atmosphere. Fortunately, you can learn to spot it early and tackle it effectively.
Why does this stay with you for so long?
Aggression hits you in a place you are not prepared for. Your body switches to defence, and thinking becomes difficult. So you react on instinct, or you stay quiet and swallow it.
That costs energy, even long after the conversation. You go to your next appointment with more tension, you are more cautious around colleagues and the joy of work wears off. What is never discussed stays in the atmosphere of your team.
It does not have to stay this way. You can learn to recognise aggression early and deal with it calmly.
How do you stay calm when someone becomes aggressive?
Reacting calmly is a skill, not an innate trait. You learn to read the signals early, understand where the behaviour comes from and set a boundary without letting the conversation derail.
Our coaches know how heavy such moments weigh. In the workshop you learn techniques to de-escalate: active listening, showing empathy and setting boundaries.
You practise with realistic scenarios in one half-day, with a group of 6 to 12 participants. This way you feel what it is like to stay calm, even before it is really necessary, and you build on the skills below.
What you can do after the workshop
After the workshop you can:
- spot aggressive behaviour early;
- understand the underlying causes of aggression;
- use techniques to de-escalate aggression;
- listen actively, show empathy and set boundaries;
- turn a conflict into a constructive dialogue.
This is how we approach it
You practise with realistic scenarios to refine your skills. We cover techniques to de-escalate, such as active listening, showing empathy and setting boundaries.
Afterwards you keep practising
Every training is extended in the THOC Leerruimte. Your material remains available and you get an AI Coach who knows the lesson.
We work in an experience-oriented way: you immediately get to work with the material in exercises that resemble real situations.
Who gives this training
Our coaches can give this workshop. Do you want a working environment where conflicts become opportunities? Tell us what your team is experiencing, and we will organise the workshop for your team.
Frequently asked questions
- With six to twelve participants per group, in Dutch, English or French. The workshop consists of 1 half-day.
Practical details
- Formula: In-company training
- Languages: English, Français, Nederlands
- Half-days: 1
- Participants: 6 to 12