TC261: Difficult People at Work

Host Robin Masiewicz welcomes her sister Amy Frost (http:amyfrost.com) to discuss techniques for dealing with difficult people in the workplace. Amy offers a five-step technique to help you regain your composure and respond more thoughtfully when a difficult situation arises. This allows you to use your better judgement to respond to the situation, rather than simply reacting.Another topic is the importance of self-care via nutrition, meditation, exercise, and other means to help you stay positive and deal with day-to-day issues. Taking care of yourself will help you manage stress more effectively.(http://transformation-cafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Difficult-People2.jpg)We all encounter difficult or unreasonable people in our lives (if you don't then you may be someone else's difficult person!). We may be stuck with an annoying relative at home, or a difficult or demanding person at work. Some people are aggressive and angry, others are passive but will undermine people behind their back. Having a strategy for dealing with difficult people can help you respond when the situation arises.Key points:First, recognize that it isn’t helpful or healthful to take the behavior of difficult people personally.Second, realize that you aren’t going to change or fix them.Third, manage your emotions in your dealings with these people. Learn to depersonalize their behavior.Do seek support from others. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, you may find it useful to keep a dated written record of your interactions with your difficult person.Finally, as with anything in life, recognize that dealing with difficult people is a skill worth learning and that as a skill it is one you can cultivate with practice.Recommended Resources:There are numerous articles and books on this subject, but here are a few to get you started.Psychology Today offers "Ten Keys to Handling Unreasonable & Difficult People (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/communication-success/201309/ten-keys-handling-unreasonable-difficult-people)", an article by Preston Ni.Dealing with Difficult People (http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/professionalism/dealing-difficult-people) from WebGURU offers some very good advice. As the article says "it really is critical to master this life skill early in your as you will encounter difficult people in the workplace."(http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1491245522&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=transfcafe-20)(http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=transfcafe-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1491245522) (http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0440202019&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=transfcafe-20)(http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=transfcafe-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0440202019)Guest Bios:Amy Frost, MBA and MA Psychology - Amy Frost is an accomplished Author, Coach, Group Facilitator, Keynote Speaker, Life Manager, and Trainer for Get Back to Work, Personal Leadership and Life Coaching Programs. Read Amy's complete bio at www.amyfrost.com (http://www.amyfrost.com/).Do you have a story about a difficult person at work, and how you learned to deal with them? Have additional resources that you've found helpful? Let know about it by leaving a comment!