Working with Difficult People: A Practical Guide
by Sorin Dumitrascu
Almost everyone has encountered difficult people in the workplace. Difficult people can exhibit different behaviors, such as rudeness, yelling, gossiping, ignoring, or harassing. Being able to deal with these people can make for a less stressful and more productive work environment.
To effectively deal with difficult people, you first need to be able to identify the type of difficult person you're dealing with. Then you can have a better understanding of the person's motivations. This will enable you to determine how best to deal with their behavior.
Identify difficult people
Difficult people can exhibit different behaviors. However, they can be categorized into a few common types. Think about some difficult people you've encountered. Perhaps someone who complained all the time. Or someone who seemed to be out only for themselves. By being able to identify the type of difficult person you're dealing with, you can better prepare a strategy to use to deal with that person.
Understand motivations
Difficult people are motivated by many things. One person might be motivated by a need for attention. Another might be motivated by a fear of failure. By understanding what motivates difficult people to act the way they do, you'll be in a better position to begin to be able to deal with them.
In this course, you'll learn a few steps you can take to cope with the difficult behavior and do just that. Keep in mind that each person is an individual and what works for one may not work for another.
Dealing with difficult people is never pleasant. They can cause all kinds of problems and uncomfortable situations. Learning how to best deal with difficult people is a skill that will serve you well. In this course, you'll learn about some common types of difficult people and their motivations, as well as steps you can take to deal with their behavior.
Have you ever encountered someone who broke into a sudden rant? Maybe they said something like "I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life! You're kidding me right? Why am I the only one with the intelligence to see a problem here?"
This behavior is aggressive – hostile-aggressive, to be precise – and it's one of the most difficult behaviors you'll face.
You may have also encountered the more subtle passive-aggressive behavior. Whether subtle or overt, you have to be prepared to deal with these expressions of aggression in the workplace. Hostile-aggressive and passive-aggressive behaviors are learned, and the basis of each is anger. However, each type also has its own traits.
Hostile-aggressive behavior is relatively easy to spot. Individuals who behave in a hostile- aggressive manner are openly angry. They'll often yell and use personal, verbal attacks to get
what they want. They're difficult to work with because their personal attacks can raise your own anger and stress levels. It's hard to stay calm and focused when you're being treated with disrespect.
Passive-aggressive behavior is more subtle than hostile-aggressive behavior. Passive aggressive individuals are experts at manipulation and go to great lengths to hide their true intentions. They don't show anger. Passive-aggressive behavior is hard to deal with because you never know what's really going on. You can't trust the intentions of a passive-aggressive person.
This course outlines behaviors to look for to recognize hostile-aggressive and passive-aggressive people. It also explores strategies for dealing with both when you encounter them at work.
The number one tip for dealing with hostile-aggressive types is not to take the aggressive behavior personally. A seven-step procedure that can help you deal with the incident and move forward is covered in this course.
To effectively deal with difficult people, you first need to be able to identify the type of difficult person you're dealing with. Then you can have a better understanding of the person's motivations. This will enable you to determine how best to deal with their behavior.
Identify difficult people
Difficult people can exhibit different behaviors. However, they can be categorized into a few common types. Think about some difficult people you've encountered. Perhaps someone who complained all the time. Or someone who seemed to be out only for themselves. By being able to identify the type of difficult person you're dealing with, you can better prepare a strategy to use to deal with that person.
Understand motivations
Difficult people are motivated by many things. One person might be motivated by a need for attention. Another might be motivated by a fear of failure. By understanding what motivates difficult people to act the way they do, you'll be in a better position to begin to be able to deal with them.
In this course, you'll learn a few steps you can take to cope with the difficult behavior and do just that. Keep in mind that each person is an individual and what works for one may not work for another.
Dealing with difficult people is never pleasant. They can cause all kinds of problems and uncomfortable situations. Learning how to best deal with difficult people is a skill that will serve you well. In this course, you'll learn about some common types of difficult people and their motivations, as well as steps you can take to deal with their behavior.
Have you ever encountered someone who broke into a sudden rant? Maybe they said something like "I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life! You're kidding me right? Why am I the only one with the intelligence to see a problem here?"
This behavior is aggressive – hostile-aggressive, to be precise – and it's one of the most difficult behaviors you'll face.
You may have also encountered the more subtle passive-aggressive behavior. Whether subtle or overt, you have to be prepared to deal with these expressions of aggression in the workplace. Hostile-aggressive and passive-aggressive behaviors are learned, and the basis of each is anger. However, each type also has its own traits.
Hostile-aggressive behavior is relatively easy to spot. Individuals who behave in a hostile- aggressive manner are openly angry. They'll often yell and use personal, verbal attacks to get
what they want. They're difficult to work with because their personal attacks can raise your own anger and stress levels. It's hard to stay calm and focused when you're being treated with disrespect.
Passive-aggressive behavior is more subtle than hostile-aggressive behavior. Passive aggressive individuals are experts at manipulation and go to great lengths to hide their true intentions. They don't show anger. Passive-aggressive behavior is hard to deal with because you never know what's really going on. You can't trust the intentions of a passive-aggressive person.
This course outlines behaviors to look for to recognize hostile-aggressive and passive-aggressive people. It also explores strategies for dealing with both when you encounter them at work.
The number one tip for dealing with hostile-aggressive types is not to take the aggressive behavior personally. A seven-step procedure that can help you deal with the incident and move forward is covered in this course.
