Dealing with Difficult People - a Few Notes

Here are some quick thoughts about dealing with people who we don't always see eye to eye with. Many of the instances where we deal with difficult people come about due to a combination of the situation and the behavior styles of the individuals involved.

Here's a few points to keep in mind:
- Many difficult situations between people are exacerbated due to a mis-match of communication
- You can't change others - only yourself
- Take your cue from others - learn to react to get what you want
In order to achieve our goals we need a mechanism to work through our differences. A technique I call Diffuse/Disarm is a great way to begin.

You can Diffuse/Disarm in 4 steps:

Diffuse

Listen

• Be objective
• Actively listen

Acknowledge

• The act of making sure what they said is what your heard
• Confirm that you understand the situation

Question

• Find out additional information or roadblocks
• Use open ended questions

Disarm
Respond

• A practical solution that satisfies the needs of both parties

Using these steps will make your communication process smoother, help people feel comfortable and cared for, and help you achieve your service objectives.