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7 Useful Strategies To Dealing With Difficult People At Work

Emmanuel Nnaemeka

asaporg

  Difficult people exist everywhere. Most times, you just find people getting on your nerves for no just cause and you can really tell why they simply pick on you. Some people are unnecessarily difficult to work with, in your workplace, and it could be a coworker or an employer.
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It could take several dimensions: it could be that a coworker is simply not collaborative, opinionated, rarely turn up for meeting as scheduled or fail to take responsibility when they’re at fault and so on. No matter how much you get worked up by these difficult people, it won’t change the fact that you’ll always encounter them. Rather than trying hard to avoid them or fighting them off, this article will show you 7 techniques in dealing with difficult people.

  1. Remain Calm

In the face of apparent difficulty, the best solution is to be calm. Most often, when we’re faced with a difficult colleague trying to follow up frustration with anger will only escalate the problem. It’s advised to remain calm so that you can clearly how best you can handle the situation.

  1. Understand The Person’s Intention

Sometimes trying to understand the reason why a difficult person acts the way he/she does is another way to handle a difficult person. Most often, people’s outbursts, defiance, and simple disobedience could be traced to the past. Try and identify the difficult person’s triggers. Identify the reasons for refusal to cooperate. Is the issue peculiar to you or everyone around him/her? Find out and reach out.

  1. Get To Know What Others Have To Say

In a workplace, it’s possible that this difficult person might be notorious for being difficult or not. Get to know the experiences of other colleagues concerning this difficult workmate. It’s possible that he’s known for his attitudes or it might just be a misinterpretation on your own side.
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  1. Let The Person Know Your Intentions

There might be possibilities that both of you are misinterpreting each other’s reactions due to poor communication. What you had in mind was not what you carried out. There are possibilities that he/she might be responding to an action you took. It’s very expedient that you know why the person is being difficult towards you and communicate your intentions, which was not to mean harm in any way.

  1. Communicate And Socialize With The Person

Beyond getting engrossed with your gadgets of laptops, computers and messaging system in the workplace, one of the reasons why you experience difficult people is because you and you colleagues have lost the essence of human touch. Beyond office work, go out with them for dinner, go out for a drink and party if possible. Through this, you can build a connection with your colleagues who’re difficult.

  1. Give Respect

The best way to treat a difficult person is to give him/her respect. When respect is given, respect could be earned from his/her angle. Treating people as though they’re incompetent, incapable and stupid can backfire against you.

  1. Seek Intervention of Higher Authorities

When all seem to fail and the said person is proving too difficult to handle, it’s best you report to your superiors. Featured Image Source: asaporg
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