Handling Difficult People ot Work - Work Place Ethics
Symptom # 1: Making a Fuss of Anything and Everything
This is one problem which is faced by many people when their subordinates call up or come up to inquire every simple work related thing or problem. They will make a fuss out of trifles. They need spoon feeding or reassurance all the time, which is good for them, but it unnecessarily eats up your time! It may also be the reverse case, that you have a boss who calls up to ask things, that should be easily processed by his own cerebrum!
Cause: Many employers may encounter this problem while dealing with difficult employees. The cause may be a either desperate or pathetic attempt to gain your attention, in case it is your subordinate. The reason may also be that they are genuinely confused or dumb!
Treatment: You could simply ask him/her to call you for queries only in a specific time slot and only if the problem has gone beyond a specific threshold limit of difficulty or an emergency. In case it is a dumb subordinate, beyond salvation, make him a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list, with answers. If none of these work, ask him a simple question like: 'Why did I hire you if I myself am solving problems delegated to you?' Or 'Why should I pay you, if I think for you?'.
If it's your boss then, well, you must bear with him, as he pays you to think for him! The fact that he comes to you for advice means, that he counts you among his trusted advisers, which is a good sign for future prospects!
Symptom # 2: Accidental Rudeness or Temporary Amnesia, that Happens Alarmingly Often
You encounter people at office, who are often rude and inconsistent in their behavior. One day you'll be their best friend and next day, they'll be downright ignorant of your very existence or will be rude to you.
Cause: These are patients, usually your superiors or colleagues with an acute case of 'Difficultitis', who are also afflicted by other maladies like selfishness and an congenital inability to think about other people, unless they need them. They just need to use you for something and once that was done, they could conveniently forget your existence.
Treatment: These are severe cases that need strong medicine for cure. Staying away from these people, if possible, is the best policy, as sooner or later they are going to pay a price for their disregard of other people. Stop acknowledging their existence.
Symptom # 3: Uninvited Condescension
This is a dosage which subordinates often get from a boss, who has no idea whatsoever about your work, but nevertheless considers his prime responsibility to feed you pearls of wisdom and work ethics in a condescending manner!
Cause: He is a pompous nut case with a inflated idea about his own inherent self worth. He does not want to earn respect but demands it automatically, by his default position of power.
Treatment: Once he begins to start his condescending speech, let your face be a picture of concentration. Then start humming your favorite song in your mind and nod once in a while as if you are taking in every one of his word. Once it's over, say 'Yes Sir' and run! This is a way of handling difficult people at work, whom you can't run from! At other times, when you see him around, disappear!
Symptom # 4: Delaying your Work All the Time
This is a problem which subordinate employees face many times as their work is delayed without notice and subject to the whims of a boss.
Cause: The moodiness and indifference of a superior.
Treatment: Keep pestering the person, mail him, leave notes on his desk in case he is unavailable and stop not till it's gotten done. There is no other way of getting things done other than dogged pursuit!
Symptom # 5: Stealing Credit for your Work
This is often done by immediate superiors who may steal your ideas as their own, while assuring to give you due credit. These are two faced, pathetic people who need to be exposed, for who they are. When it comes to doing work, it will be delegated to you, but credit will be attributed to him, thanks to his wiliness!
Cause: A paucity of original thinking, unwillingness to work hard and excellent manipulative abilities, with no self respect.
Treatment: If he is stealing all your good ideas, then feed him a dud idea and convince him of its effectiveness. If he is dumb enough, which is mostly the case, he will fall on his face when he presents it as his own.
Subvert his superiority and approach your superior's superior if things go out of hand. Pray that he is a better man. Read more on how to deal with a bully.
Symptom # 6: Playing Office Politics
Foe some people, backstabbing you or stepping over you to get what they want is second nature. These people are excellent at gossiping and subtly manipulating people. They specialize in sucking up to people who matter.
Cause: These people see other employees in office as puppets to be manipulated and as stepping stones to be trampled up on and risen higher. They are very sweet with you when they want you, but bitch about you elsewhere, if it's in their profit. These are the worst type of difficult people.
Treatment: Avoiding and ignoring such people in office is the best thing to do. Do your job and be as straightforward in your dealings as possible. Don't trust this person at any cost and do not take any favors from him, at any cost! Do not talk about personal stuff when he is around in office. Ignoring them is again the best policy. Howard Roark's answer in the novel Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand, is something to be remembered. When the villain Toohey, asks him, 'What do you think of me?', he answers, 'I don't think of you. Period' . That's the policy. Do not give such manipulative people the consideration of thinking about them . Don't think of them.
Symptom # 7: Cubicle Stalking & Pestering
There are always the office stalkers who are the toughest, when it comes to handling difficult people at work. They will take advantage of your nicety and pester you all the time in the office, to the point of stalking you. They may bore you like hell with their sorry state of affairs or their list of self achievements for which they worked so hard! At no point will real concern for you peep into the conversation. These pompous bores just look for a person who will listen! Some may just keep staring at you all the time for no reason. They are nut cases usually, who come to you to get their ego stroked.
Cause: They are usually people with no life beyond the office, making a pathetic attempt at appearing cool and wooing you.
Treatment: Once your tolerance level or boredom has reached its limit, you will have to someday explicitly tell such people to 'Go Away' and make it clear that they are not welcome! If this doesn't work, then do your invisible act again and disappear as soon as he makes a move towards your cubicle! For more read, 'How to Deal With Annoying People'.
All people are difficult because there is a reason and sometimes they are just victims of their irrational idiosyncrasies. Working with difficult people may make your life stressful at times, with unnecessary aggravation. Remember that 'nobody can trouble you, unless you let them', at such times. The main ingredients of the perfect recipe for handling difficult people at work are, patience and tact! Hope these recommended treatment procedures for curing 'Difficultitis' will help you in handling difficult people at work!
By Gray Pilgrim
