...Kota Kinabalu 29th August 2013 DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE Prof Emeritus Dato’ Dr Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman SOAR Consultings Sdn Bhd www.soarconsultings.com drsoar@soarconsultings.com drsoar@gmail.com 019 2010757 SOAR TO THE TOP from base camp to summit Professionalism Professionalism Success Professionalism Success Professionalism Success Professionalism Success Professionalism Success DREAMS AND GOALS LEADERSHIP FORUM, INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THINKING 2009 (ICOT), KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 23 APRIL, 2009 SCOPE • • • • • • • Achieving win-win Understanding difficult behavior The four styles of communication Four kinds of difficult employees Handling difficult behavior Handling conflict & confrontations Eight tips for dealing with difficult people at work ACHIEVING WIN-WIN Theodore Roosevelt US President The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is the knack of getting along with people. UNDERSTANDING DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR DIFFICULT PEOPLE • are only happy when they’re unhappy and bringing down everyone else around them too. A Difficult Person Someone who, whether consciously or unconsciously hinders or disrupts the advancement of productivity at the work place What’s your definition?? How does it affect you? When someone is behaving difficult, how does it affects you? Does it affect your performance and/ or reputation? How does it affect you? Hinders or stops Collective...
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...How to Handle a Difficult Client Fundamentals of Organizational Communication BUS3050 Instructor: Len Sholtis March 16, 2012 Introduction Difficult customers come in a wide variety. There are those whose personality rubs you the wrong way. They may not be difficult for others, but they are for you. And then there are those who are difficult for everyone: picky people, know-it-alls, egocentrics, fault-finders, constant complainers, etc. Difficult customers deserve to be respected; however, they too must provide respect in return to the companies and /or individuals they are working with. Behavior of difficult customers can have a negative effect on a business. Their behavior can be the reason why customers stop patronizing a business. In this paper you will read how difficult people can be and how to handle difficult customers, without shouting or even getting upset. There are four steps that will be discussed on how to handle difficult customers in public places. The four steps are listening, identifying the problem, avoiding blame, and resolving the problem (Kahle 2002). Overview of the Organization and Case Study The organization that will be examined for this case study is Angels of Beauty Hair Salon. The mission of Angels of Beauty Hair Salon is to enhance a person’s beauty, both physically and spiritually to ensure he or she is confident and has beautiful, healthy hair. The owner of Angels of Beauty has been a hair stylist for over 15 years and has always...
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...Abstract This journal discusses what I learned from reading the book Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. It goes in depth into what I liked and what I didn’t like about the book. I also discuss how the book relates to my life and how I will use what I learned and apply it to my conversations and to my life in general. The book, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most, really spoke to me in more ways than one. Throughout the entire book I could relate most, if not all, of what was written to my everyday life. Most of all I have come to realize how I’ve played a crucial role in many conflicts in my past even when I believed I did nothing wrong. I think my biggest takeaway from this book is that everyone plays a part in conflict, that blame does nothing but make things worst and that feelings (when controlled) are a lot more important than I thought. I’ve also learned that I need to let go of a lot of things and start moving on with life. The blame frame: “produces disagreements, denial, and little learning. Evokes fear of punishment. We end up defending ourselves.” I find myself playing the blame game way too often. I was happy to read that everyone contributes when there is conflict. Everyone has a role even if they think they don’t. Thinking back to past conflicts i’ve realized that I find it difficult to move from blaming to a learning conversation. I’ve managed to convince myself that conflict...
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...Difficult Reputations: Collective Memories of the Evil, Inept, and Controversial. By Gary Alan Fine. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2001. 267 pp. Every good story needs its hero and its villain. In Gary Alan Fine’s book, Difficult Reputations: Collective Memories of the Evil, Inept, and Controversial, he urges the importance of history’s villains, and those with controversial reputations, in modern society. Eight case studies are used to show how controversial figures in public memory (ranging from Benedict Arnold to Henry Ford to Fatty Arbuckle) acquired difficult reputations and the effects that those reputations had on the American people. In Fine’s introduction, he makes a case for the relevance of figures with difficult reputations. American society has a tendency to focus on reputational heroes such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln who represent the center of American morality. Fine argues that those with difficult reputations are just as important because they represent the boundaries of morality. Portrayals of these figures as villains are thus examples for the people of what is morally unacceptable in American society. Fine then explains the importance of reputational entrepreneurs in the construction of reputations. He defines reputational entrepreneurs as those who help construct reputations in ways that benefit their own agendas. In the case of morality, reputational entrepreneurs can benefit society by constructing negative reputations...
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...Difficult People Marvin D. Cofield Jack Welch Management Institute Professor Ardith Bowman JWI 505 Business Communication 10 Feb 2013 Difficult People My topic of choice is on “How to deal with difficult people and their decisions even when they are your boss?” The reason I chose this topic is because I’m quite sure I’m not the only one that has had to deal with someone in upper management that is stubborn and difficult to deal with and the decisions that they make just make no sense whatsoever. This paper follows Munter’s Tell/Sell style of presentation (Munter, Ch 5 pp.86). I will attempt to capture the attention of the audience and show how the topic relates to them. The mental and emotional connection is the level of stress and anxiety most people get from being in the position and how to deal with it. The stress of not being to state the issues to the boss for fear of reprisal. I think this should be an interesting topic to speak on and share my experiences and results. Even if some haven't had the misfortune of ever being in that position, I'm sure just hearing what others have to say on the topic will be beneficial in some way. We have all been there at some point in our lives at one time or another and if you haven’t, consider yourself blessed and very fortunate. Dealing with difficult people. Even if you haven’t been on the job for a real long time, it is very unusual to have not found someone in the workforce that you can consider difficult to deal with...
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...old who has a difficult temperament. 2. Please describe the characteristics of the child that indicate that the child has a difficult temperament or language delay Children’s temperament are unique to them. Following are specific characteristics that indicate that Child A has a difficult temperament: 1. High activity level: As a caregiver of the morning program child A majority of the times comes in with a high activity level that sometimes it is difficult to slow them down. In addition, child A displays high levels of activity inappropriate environment such as when it is storybook reading. 2. High intense:...
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... • # medicine The position of the foetus in the uterus at birth • # fencing Offering one's blade for engagement by the opponent On average, bullet-point slides yield a 15-20% recall of information after just five minutes. Yet most presentations are given in the same, ineffectual, way. It is possible to use PowerPoint to communicate effectively, but only by using the tool in a more considered way. Effective presentations are about clear communication. To present well, we need to understand when and why to use visual aids, what audiences are looking for, and how to make our messages stick. Presentations work well when slides and presenter work together – seamlessly delivering the right information, at the right time, to captivate the audience. How to Start a Presentation Starting a presentation effectively is critical to its success. If the introduction to a presentation does not go well the audience can slip into a...
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...Love relationships can be difficult and hard to understand, just like a dog. The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein tells about the love between a dog and his family. The poem “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali explains how love is like a dog. The dog in both the poem and the book represent love. This dog literature helps us to examine love relationships. In The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein and the poem “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali, it is illustrated how love and dogs are a like in ways most people do not notice. Just like you do not leave your’ dog alone for very long, you cannot leave love alone for too long either. In “How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog”, Taylor Mali uses, “Love doesn’t like being left alone for long. / But come home and love is always happy to see you” (15-16). To show that both love and dogs need plenty of...
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...Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Name Date How to Handle Difficult Behavior in the Workplace In the article, “How to Handle Difficult Behavior in the Workplace”, Tony Belak (2004) elaborates how to prevent negative and unproductive behaviors in the workplace that can lead to conflict. Tony strives to assist employees solve their conflicts when they happen instead of leaving them unresolved as unresolved conflicts can be costly to the organizations productivity. According to the article, conflicts can arise between institutions, between individuals in an organization or between organizational components. The article further states that conflicts have become part of the organizations daily duties, and managers should strive to resolve them immediately to avoid influencing other employees or bring loss to the organization. Difficult behaviors such as yelling, harassing or rudeness should never be ignored as they contaminate more employees and may inhibit performance in others. The author recommends different ways that individuals can use to handle difficult behaviors in the organizations. First, he recommends employees to avoid taking the actions of others personally. Tony insists that it is very easy for employees to label others as hostile, miserable or with other negative coloration, assuming every move their take will bring conflict. He advises these employees to take time and learn productive ways of creating good interactions, other than labeling others as...
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...presentation • Working with difficult people: Identifying Difficult People • Elements of a cohesive team • Leading teams: Fostering Effective Communication and Collaboration • Effective team Communication • Customer service over the phone Basic Presentation Skills: Delivering a presentation In this module you are basically learning techniques on how to deliver presentations accurately and professionally. One of the first things to overcome is stage fright, once you recognized the phases of stage fright you can overcame any remaining fears by using relaxation and visualization techniques, shifting your perspective, controlling your behavior, and simply being yourself. Two important components of presentations are verbal and nonverbal skills. Using gestures and movements engages the audience and helps you emphasize certain points you want to make. Avoid distracting behaviors such as fidgeting, and use facial expression and eye contact to communicate friendliness and confidence. Another aspect of giving presentation is being able handle audience questions. Invite questions by using transition statements or proposing a topic you might want to elaborate on. Be careful when addressing each individual, don’t change characters when taking questions or be dismissive of people’s opinions. You should not be afraid to admit that you don’t know the answer to a question and be prepared to deal with tough or relentless questions from one questioner. Working with difficult people: Identifying...
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...difficulty each objective represents. The first is objective 3.1, estimate the sustainability of long-term business operations did not warrant a comment. Objective 3.2 explain how the global market affects business strategy was least difficulty and objective 3.3 construct a long-term strategic management plan for sustaining organizational performance was the most difficult. This week Team C is more comfortable with objective 3.2 because this objective relates to the way global markets affect business strategy. Global strategy and globalization changes the way firms conduct business. Technology advancements open new doors and causes organization to compete worldwide by means of the Internet. Therefore, organization strategies are more complex because the strategy must include certain aspects of business such as outsourcing, taxes, and global competition. Outsourcing did not always exist but is currently a popular trend, which helps businesses become more efficient, operate with better quality, and reduce operational costs (Wheelen & Hunger, 2010). However, taxes change when organizations operate globally and at times companies can pay taxes in multiple countries. Competition is another concern as mentioned above because competition is broader than before. Competition also means considering how to be competitive when conducting business overseas in the local market. In connection, one team member works for a global company unafraid of change and adapts to consumer needs...
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...4DEP Activity 2 How an HR Practitioner ensures the services they provide are timely and effective. Understanding Customer Needs for 3 different customers of HR Employees – Require information on employment contracts Managers – Require staff who can fulfill their job role efficiently and meet performance targets. Applicants – Require a clear induction policy and training plan taking their individual needs into account. Prioritising Conflicting Needs The needs of customers may sometimes be conflicting (for example, managers want production results and longer working hours whereas employees want more time off and focus on work/life balance). HR would ascertain which demands were the most urgent and important, taking into account the ease and speed of dealing with each issue whilst maintaining focus on the overall needs of the organisation. It is important to keep all customers informed of what HR can provide in the way of services and set realistic expectations. HR needs to be flexible, easy to contact and able to respond swiftly and effectively. However on occasions where the customer’s need cannot be dealt with promptly, a full explanation must be given along with estimated timescales for resolution. Effective Service Delivery Delivering Service On Time By prioritising needs, HR can ensure that issues are handled according to urgency. For example, taking into account the effect of each request on the business and considering: * Maintaining...
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...How to Exercise the Emotional Virus of Negativity in the Workplace Noel Paul LAW 410 Alan Gallagher April 6, 2008 [pic] How to Exercise the Emotional Virus of Negativity in the Workplace Negativity is like an emotional virus which can spread rapidly from one person to another. Individuals can bring the virus to work or catch it from others in the workplace. The emotional virus can spread quickly in a matter of days or weeks, and once transmitted, it is difficult to cure. We all have difficult and negative people in our lives and we have to work, manage, or live with negativists, whiners, and complainers. The most difficult personalities in the workplace today are Negativists and managing them is a skill in itself. Researchers have shown that negativists, also known as whiners and complainers, have a strong need to be liked (Kettenhofen p.1). They tend to think that by complaining about how much work they have to do or that they do not have enough work to do, they will gain empathy from fellow coworkers. The fellow coworkers in the office begin to notice how these people often spend more time complaining than working. Employees tend to spend more time focused on the individual and less time working. Negativists tend to be capable people but this capacity gets turned in the wrong direction. Individuals with this type of personality tend to feel very strongly that unless a project is in their hands, it will...
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...Sociological Research Skills Name of Method Research Methods Questionnaires Brief Outline of Method A questionnaire is a list of written questions that can be completed in one of two basic ways Firstly, respondents could be asked to complete the questionnaire with the researcher not present. This is a postal questionnaire and (loosely) refers to any questionnaire that a respondent completes without the aid of the researcher. Secondly, respondents could be asked to complete the questionnaire by verbally responding to questions in the presence of the researcher. This variation is called a structured interview. Although the two variations are similar (a postal questionnaire and a structured interview could contain exactly the same questions), the difference between them is important. If, for example, we are concerned with protecting the respondent’s anonymity then it might be more appropriate to use a postal questionnaire than a structured interview. Questionnaires are restricted to two basic types of question: Closed-ended (or “closed question”) is a question for which a researcher provides a suitable list of responses (e.g. Yes / No). This produces mainly quantitative data. Open-ended (or “open question”) is a question where the researcher doesn’t provide the respondent with a set answer from which to choose. Rather, the respondent is asked to answer "in their own words". This produces mainly qualitative data. Strengths / Uses of Method Weaknesses / Limitations of Method...
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...the employees. Most of the time, positively reinforcing behavior is a simple matter: Just notice that the worker is doing what you want and praise him or her for it. When it comes to motivating across cultural boundaries, however, this step becomes a bit trickier. For one thing, behaviors such as expressing problems or admitting lack of understanding can be difficult to reinforce because there is the temptation to "shoot the messenger." It is, for example, understandably difficult for managers to bring themselves to praise the worker who arrives bearing news of a missed deadline or a broken piece of equipment. Even though it isn't easy, try to distance yourself from the problems long enough to praise the worker for keeping you informed and to encourage him or her to continue to do so. Another problem with reinforcement is the danger of taking certain behaviors for granted. American managers, for example, may not realize how difficult it is for a non-native speaker to sustain the speaking of English in the workplace and, therefore, fail to compliment them on that effort. Try to be aware of behaviors that are easy for you, but difficult for others. People are different, but they all respond -- each and every one of them -- to a kind word and thoughtful praise. The differences between the deal-focused (DF) people who are fundamentally task-oriented and relationship-focused (RF) folks, who are more people-oriented is considered to be the "Great Divide" between business cultures and...
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