🌱 Network Challenge Training Sessions – Session 4 Summary

How to Handle the Haters

🗓️ Date: February 18, 2025
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

📢 Session Overview

In this session, OSN alumni Jim McComb guided us through an exploration of personality traits, core qualities, and effective communication strategies. We learned how understanding ourselves and others can help navigate difficult conversations and build stronger, more empathetic connections. Jim shared personal stories of working with different personality types and offered practical strategies for handling challenges with non-violent communication (NVC).

🔴 Missed the session? Watch the full recording here:

 

✨ DiSC Personality Framework

The DiSC model is a powerful tool to help us better understand how we—and those around us—tend to operate. The framework categorizes personality into four main profiles:

  • D (Dominance): Confident and focused on results.
  • I (Influence): Outgoing and relationship-focused.
  • S (Steadiness): Dependable and cooperative.
  • C (Conscientiousness): Detail-oriented and driven by quality and accuracy.

By identifying our own DiSC profile, we can reflect on our strengths, areas for growth, and how best to collaborate with others.

 

 

🔄 Core Quadrant Concept

We also explored Daniel Ofman’s Core Quadrant, which offers a way to frame personality traits positively—even those that might otherwise be seen as “weaknesses.”

Each core quadrant has four elements:

  • Core Quality: Your natural strength (e.g., determination).
  • Pitfall: What happens when you push your core quality too far (e.g., pushiness).
  • Challenge: The positive opposite of your pitfall (e.g., learning patience).
  • Allergy: Taking your challenge too far (e.g., becoming too passive).

The key takeaway? Every quality has value—understanding these traits in yourself and others can reframe “annoying” behaviors into opportunities for connection.

 

 

🗣️ Non-Violent Communication (NVC)

Developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, Non-Violent Communication (NVC) offers a framework for fostering empathy and creating productive, solution-focused conversations.

NVC is structured around four key steps:

  1. Observations: Focus on objective facts (not judgments).
  2. Feelings: Identify your emotions.
  3. Needs: Recognize the underlying human need.
  4. Requests: Ask for a specific action to help meet that need.

💬 Example NVC Sentence:
“When I hear [observation], I feel [emotion] because I need [need]. Would you be willing to [request]?”

This approach shifts conversations from blame to understanding, helping us meet people where they’re at and find common ground.

🌐 Resources & Tools

We encourage you to explore the following tools to continue reflecting on your personality traits and enhancing your communication skills:

DiSC Resources

Core Quadrant Resources

Non-Violent Communication (NVC)