Brownnosers, credit-stealers, meeting monopolizers, gossips and bullies — difficult people come in all forms and no workplace is immune.
As great news goes, however, there is hope: you can do something about it. The key to effective defusing of situations lies in increasing frustration tolerance and challenging any thoughts which cause us to react in stressful ways.
1. I Phrases
When communicating with difficult individuals, it’s essential to use “I” phrases. This shows them you understand their perspective while also showing you are open to hearing their viewpoint and looking at the situation from various perspectives.
Phrases are small groups of words that work together in a sentence to create meaning without including all the components necessary for complete sentences: subject and predicate. Phrases can also be combined with independent clauses or sentences to build complex ideas.
There are eight different kinds of phrases. These are noun phrases, verb phrases, adverb phrases, participial phrases, gerund phrases, infinitive phrases and absolute phrases. Each serves a unique purpose – familiarize yourself with them all to communicate effectively with others.
2. I’m Sorry
Negative coworkers can make your work life miserable at best. Since you likely must interact with these individuals every day, learning how to confront them successfully will become essential.
Staying calm is key when dealing with emotional situations at work, and saying “I’m sorry” in an appropriate manner can go a long way toward resolving conflict and strengthening work relationships.
Renee Evenson presents in her book Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People tried-and-tested strategies for handling difficult people, from office know-it-alls and meeting monopolizers to those sending excessive emails or text messages. With these effective phrases at your fingertips, gaining cooperation from difficult colleagues and bosses should become much simpler – choosing them wisely could mean the difference between successful workplace interactions and an out of control scenario!
3. You’re Right
Negative coworkers don’t just disappear on their own – they can do serious damage to work relationships and careers alike. Tried-and-true tactics developed by seasoned small business consultant Renee Evenson help navigate tough conversations to regain workplace happiness and restore harmony in the office.
Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People is a book that illustrates how using specific phrases at specific moments can strengthen both communication skills and leadership abilities. One such phrase, You’re Right is used in that book – in comparison with “Your Right,” which refers more generally to your ability to do something, “You’re Right” refers directly to being correct on any given issue.
4. I’m Here to Help
Brownnosers, credit-stealers, meeting monopolizers, gossipers and bullies – no matter how positive your work environment may appear–can create tension within it at times, which in extreme cases may end up jeopardizing its integrity and thus leading to damage of professional relationships.
Renee Evenson provides readers of Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People the tools to recognize and communicate effectively with specific behaviors and personalities that often cause workplace difficulties. You’ll gain tried-and-true tactics for managing challenging conversations in order to gain cooperation from coworkers who may be difficult to work with while keeping professional relationships strong at work. Furthermore, powerful phrases and a five-step conflict resolution process will assist with any situations arising in your workplace environment.
5. I’m Listening
Frustration in the workplace is unavoidable; whether it’s Phil next door or Linda in quality control, issues among coworkers rarely disappear on their own.
Brownnosers, credit-stealers, meeting monopolizers and gossipers abound in any workplace environment. Learning the skills necessary for entering positive dialogue when encountering conflict situations; communicating assertively yet confidently when facing disagreement; and uncovering any root causes is essential in working through disputes and creating harmony in an office setting.
Renee Evenson offers powerful phrases for dealing with difficult people in Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People, an invaluable book packed with tried-and-tested strategies that will enable you to navigate challenging situations while preserving work relationships. These tools range from phrases of understanding such as, “I understand why you may feel that way”, and those encouraging compromise such as, “Let’s talk this over and find a solution that works for us both”, to those designed specifically to provide confidence for dealing with difficult people.
6. I’m Trying to Help
No matter who they may be: be it an uncooperative manager, negative coworker or critical family member; some individuals can be difficult to deal with and cause stress and impact your performance negatively. But it’s essential not to let such people get under your skin. It is essential not to let such situations hinder your progress – instead stay strong!
One effective strategy for avoiding becoming mired in their negativity is remaining calm and acting like they don’t bother you – this will allow you to focus more on solving the actual issue rather than their dramatic behavior.
Difficult people often lack empathy or compassion towards others. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone has lives outside work that might trigger stressful situations that cause them to act out at work, so being understanding is also necessary when setting boundaries when necessary.
7. You Can Do Better
Button-pushing personalities will inevitably pop up in your life, from coworkers who arrive late to bosses who take credit for your work. Learning to deal with these difficult people and prevent their behavior from impacting productivity is essential to staying productive.
This chapter provides tips for communicating assertively and confidently to gain the cooperation of challenging coworkers, such as know-it-alls, meeting monopolizers or noncommunicative workers. Furthermore, you’ll discover ways to strengthen relationships with difficult managers or supervisors as well as know when it may be wiser to switch jobs (rather than fight every battle to the bitter end). At times it may be better to back off and let things settle than fight tooth and nail to even out differences of opinion between coworkers – especially between know-it-alls who are know-it-alls or meeting monopolizers causing conflicts that hinder productivity or relationships – than get even.
8. I’m Trying to Help
No workplace is free from challenging people, yet some stand out as particularly challenging to work with. From gossiping about you or criticizing publicly to attacking your professional contributions – such individuals are difficult to avoid and their behavior often drains us emotionally.
Keep in mind that, although difficult people may be difficult to work with, they’re still human beings with feelings. Sometimes explaining how their actions impact you may help change their behavior; demanding change from them however is usually a bad idea.
At the same time, it’s essential to remember that everyone has a life outside of work – difficult people may be experiencing personal hardship or dealing with stressful situations they can’t leave at their desks.
9. I’m Trying to Help
No workplace is free from difficult people – be they brownnosers, credit-stealers, information monopolizers, gossipers or bullies. While you might wish they’d go away on their own, intervention may be required in order for this to happen. Effectively dealing with difficult situations lies in using words to your advantage. Instead of insisting that someone change, take time to explain how their actions impact you in hopes they’ll hear and choose a positive change themselves. Renee Evenson provides powerful phrases for dealing with difficult people in Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People, offering tried-and-tested approaches for handling even the most challenging work situations. She will teach you how to masterfully navigate conflict situations while protecting your professional image and developing stronger work relationships along the way.
10. I’m Trying to Help
Every workplace is filled with challenging people – coworkers who steal your ideas, blame others for their errors, or are combative whenever someone tries to communicate with them directly. Unfortunately, these individuals seem intent on making your job even harder and more stressful than it already is.
Understand their personal lives to see them more as individuals than just irritating coworkers. Take this opportunity to offer information about a support group or counselor who may assist them, showing that you care. Perhaps that push might just convince them to seek professional assistance and you might work together better in the future! Good luck!
