Difficult People
As Nan Mooney explains in her book I Can’t Believe She Did That!, women in the workplace are sometimes friendly to one another on the surface but are hurtful behind the scenes: bad-mouthing, backstabbing or sabotaging success. Mooney offers these tips for protecting yourself against that behavior without making enemies.
Have you ever known or worked with someone who just won’t read communication? Before you stew about these “information vacuums” too much, consider a few things.
Q. A senior leader was let go from our company. As a friend of hers, I’ve become aware of disparaging things she now writes online about it—nothing widely seen, but I think many of them are unjustified. I want to stay friends, but also put an end to these inaccuracies. Any suggestions?
In the catalog of “how to deal with difficult people” advice you’ll seek out during your career, there’s a particularly insidious character who makes frequent appearances: the condescender.
We’re all players in the drama triangle occasionally. Where the problem lies is when you get stuck in it and can’t move on.
Difficult means complicated, challenging or someone who is hard to deal with. A difficult person can be considered obnoxious, or verbally attacks you, criticizes you. They can be intrusive, controlling, picky or petty. But the executive you consider to be difficult might be a great opportunity to another assistant.
Confrontations can be stressful, and the workplace is one place where they’re sure to crop up. If you find yourself in a position to address an issue with a co-worker, keep these strategies in mind to maximize the chances of successful communication.
Question: I was recently promoted over some teammates who are also quite good at their jobs. In my new position, I have to work alongside these individuals on a variety of projects. Two of them are clearly envious of me, and as a result, they’re not very cooperative. What can I do to ensure their cooperation?
If you or your people communicate with customers over the phone or via email, you undoubtedly have to deal with some who are worried, flustered or angry. Avoid making the situation worse with disingenuous, inaccurate or insincere replies:
It’s no fun to have someone in your face—but with the right response, you can turn the situation to your advantage. Follow these steps to escape the most common pitfalls.
Here are several behaviors and tactics you can use when you need to step in and help settle a dispute.
Working, negotiating and even talking with another manager with whom you’ve had disagreements can be hard. Change management expert Rick Maurer suggests four ways to move past the feud.
Humor is a vital part of camaraderie in the workplace. But sometimes jokes are at someone else’s expense. If you’re wondering what to do when a joke-teller risks hurting someone to get a laugh, try one of the responses suggested by humor expert David M. Jacobson of Humor Horizons.
