Delivered on 31.03.2015 at DMS, PIEAS, Islamabad, Pakistan to the class of communication skills. One of the assignments given by Dr. Tariq Majeed to the class of MS Radiation and Medical Oncology (RMO) Session 2014-16,

1. How To Deal With
Difficult People At
Workplace
Khadija Afzal
M.S. RMO 2014-16
DMS, PIEAS, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Presentation Layout
2
• Who are difficult people at workplace?
 Types of human behaviors
 Defining workplace behavior
 Difficult people at workplace
• How to deal with difficult people
 Listen to them & talk to them
 Evaluate your perceptions & emotions
 Change your response
 Seek help from others
• Summary and Conclusions

3. Types of
human
behavior
Passive
behavior
Aggressive
behavior
Assertive
behavior
Passive –
aggressive
behavior
Alternator
behavior
Types of Human Behavior
3

4. Types of Human Behaviors (Contd. -1)
4
Passive Passive-
Aggressive
Aggressive
Can’t say
NO
Avoid
conflict
Others take
advantage
of you
Deny that you
are angry
Use sarcasm a
lot
Plan secretive
revenge
You hurt
others
Yell & raise
voice
Act in anger
Physically
aggressive

5. Types of Human Behaviors (Contd. -2)
5
Passive- Aggressive Alternator
Passive / Aggressive

6. Types of Human Behaviors (Contd. -3)
Contd.
6

7. 7
Are You An Assertive Person?
• Comfortable in delegating tasks to others.
• Take responsibility of mistakes
• Able to request others for help and info
• Express honest opinion even if dis-agreed
• Express anger without blaming others
Types of Human Behaviors (Contd. -3)
Contd.

8. Behavior at workplace can be defined by
• Intent that drives / motivates
• Style of working
• Communication skills
Who are difficult people at workplace?
Defining Workplace Behavior
8

9. Intent: Controller
Want things to get done, no
matter how
Intent: perfectionists
Complaining and Want things
get done their way
Intent: Attention seeker
Want to be appreciated,
considered like a hero
Intent: Approval seeker
Want to win sympathies to get
along with people
Defining Workplace Behavior (Contd. -1)
9

10. Defining Workplace Behavior (Contd. 2)
Intended meanings ≠ Perceived meanings
 Misunderstanding
10

11. The person,
• With different working style / behavior
• Who thwarts the intents of others
• Who is a bad communicator
is likely to be seen as a difficult person
Who are Difficult People?
11

12. Typical Difficult People
12

13. 13
 Listen to them
 Talk to them
 Revisit your perceptions
 Control your emotions
 Stay but do nothing
 Seek help from others
 Change your response
Dealing with Difficult People

14. Listen to Them
14

15. Talk to Them
15

16. Revisit Your Perception
16

17. Control Your Emotions
17

18. 18
Stay but Do Nothing

19. 19
Seek Help From Others
• Feel no shame in asking for help
• Reach out the likeminded coworkers first
• Ask your seniors for advice

20. 20
Change Your Response
Indecisive
1. Encourage with your suggestions
2. Make him/her agree your decision
Know-It-All
1.Don’t try to prove them wrong.
2.Explain /elaborate your point of view
3.Conclude with thanks.

21. Complainers
1.Don’t become a complainer yourself.
2.Ask for solutions.
3.Encourage and motivate positively.
21
Change Your Response (Contd. -1)
Super agreeable
1.Don’t let them over commit.
2.Give honest praises.
3.Ask for periodical feedback on work.

22. Aggressive
1.Remain calm yourself
2.Explain yourself when he/she finishes
3.Talk to him/her later and express that
this behavior is not acceptable to you.
Silent
1.Take one-on-one feed back
2.Explore if written communication
works better.
3.Involve them in few member teams
Negativists
1.Be realistic with your opinions with
them
2.Try not the argue their point of view
3.Save your time, energy and motivation
22
Change Your Response (Contd. -2)

23. Passive
1.Encourage and involve them
2.Facilitate by team work
The dictators
1.Try not the argue their point of view
2.Ask for reasons and explain yours
24
Change Your Response (Contd. -4)

24. Summary and Conclusions
While dealing with difficult people, First of all,
 Listen to them
 Talk to them
 Revisit your perception
Only after these, deal them by
 Stay put do nothing
 Seek others help
 Change your response behavior
25

25. 27
Your perceptions become
your reality
Take away message 1

26. 29
Don’t let a difficult
person make you
like him
Take away message 2

27. Questions, if any, please
30

28. Thank you!
31