Abrasive employees rub their coworkers the wrong way, with behaviors ranging from mild offense to open attack. Their bullying behaviors cause interpersonal friction that grates on subordinates, peers, and often superiors, eroding motivation and disrupting the smooth flow of work. Employees in leadership roles can inflict especially deep wounds and intense suffering in coworkers, customers, clients, patients and/or students, disrupting productivity. Managing abrasive workplace behavior is no easy task, and doing it ineptly, or failing to do it altogether can have disastrous consequences for your organization, your employees, and you.
Manage Abrasive Workplace Behavior With Backbone
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Manage Abrasive Workplace Behavior With Backbone
Instructors: Laura Crawshaw, Ph.D, BCC
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
3 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Identify abrasive workplace behavior (otherwise known as unacceptable conduct).
Motivate employees to correct abrasive behavior through Courageous Conduct Intervention®.
Learn how to intervene even if you haven’t directly observed the abrasive behavior.
Deal with defensiveness confidently and with compassion.
Skills you'll gain
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Recently updated!
June 2025
Assessments
5 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 3 modules in this course
Welcome to Manage Abrasive Workplace Behavior with Backbone. In this first module, you’ll learn what constitutes abrasive workplace behavior, the suffering it causes, and what drives individuals to behave abrasively.
What's included
5 videos2 readings2 assignments
In this module, we’ll explore why managers don’t intervene when they become aware of abrasive behavior, and examine the role of managers in managing unacceptable conduct effectively. You’ll learn about the Management Backbone, the foundation of Courageous Conduct Intervention.
What's included
8 videos2 assignments
In this final module, we’ll cover the five steps of conduct intervention with abrasive employees and show you how to deal with defensiveness calmly and confidently. We’ll explore the impact of Courageous Conduct Intervention on abrasive individuals, their coworkers and the greater organization.
What's included
11 videos5 readings1 assignment
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