How to Deal with Six Types of Difficult Coworkers

Regardless of what stage you are in your career, you’ll eventually encounter a difficult coworkers. Sometimes they are hard to describe to outsiders, but we recognise them when we encounter them. More importantly, what makes an individual challenging to work with depends on your own pet peeves or personality traits. Perhaps a difficult person is someone who is disruptive or not a good listener. Or it might be someone who is too quiet and hard to read. And then there’s someone who bullies, is abrupt, or interrupts you mid-thought.

The effects these individuals have on organisations vary greatly but usually involve the following: low morale, increased conflict, the group attitude goes along with their attitude, intimidation, insults, team demoralization, decreased productivity, rising costs, and increasing project risks among other issues.

What it does to you:

What happens to you when you encounter a difficult person? Everyone has a slightly different reaction, but some common responses include a rise in blood pressure, racing heart, a lump in the throat, "fight, flight, or freeze syndrome,” or getting red in the face. There’s one thing you can be sure of. If you don't do something about the "thing" that someone is doing that makes them challenging for you, you'll continue to get more of it. It’s crucial to figure out what makes them tick. Although coworkers may be perceived as challenging for any number of reasons, generally speaking, difficult people can be rolled into these six main groups:

• The Steamroller: This is the classic bully of the group. The Steamroller interrupts, insults, and yells at the slightest provocation.
• The Sniper: These are the individuals who hide in the back of the room and are quick to find ways of making comments or sniping. They take shots at everyone, constantly nit-pick, or make petty or condescending remarks. Snipers, as the name suggests, want to do this from "undercover." If you call them on their statements or behavior, they say, "Oh, I'm just kidding," or, "Can't ya take a joke?" or, "I didn't say anything!"
• The "Can't Say No" Person: This person simply will not say no to work. The problem is they won't say no, they won't say no, they won't say no . . . and then they finally just collapse from overexertion!
• The Know-It-All: Need I say more? They know it all and make you painfully aware of every detail of their knowledge.
• The Complainer: Chronic complainers! Chronic whiners! To them, life is one big complaint!
• The Staller: The Staller is indecision personified. This is an individual who simply will not make a decision. Because they will not commit to anything, they typically stall as a coping mechanism.

If you don't do something about the difficult people in your life, you will simply continue to get more of their problematic behaviour. Whether it is The Steamroller, The Sniper, The “Can't Say No” Person, The Know-It-All, The Complainer, or The Staller, you must take thoughtful action. In all cases, kindness should prevail. Be gentle but firm. Remember they are human just like you are. However, it's a place of business, and work needs to be accomplished. In the process of completing that work and enabling success, sometimes difficult or crucial conversations need to take place in order to maintain a happy, healthy place of business.

The solution:

Tim McClintock, trainer for Global Knowledge, Has written a whitepaper about this sensitive matter, providing tips and tricks. Do YOU want to be in control of these situations? In the training course 'REAL Contact' with customers and colleagues you will learn how to best reach people and avoid conflict, while in the process attribute to something positive.