We’ve all encountered one in the workplace. The “difficult” personality who disrupts and undermines.
It might be the passive-aggressive co-worker or the employee who is constantly late. The staff member who regularly calls in sick on Monday and Friday. It could be the bully no one is keen to work with or the argumentative, constantly complaining customer.
Whatever the issue, at some point as an employer, a colleague or a customer service representative you will need to address the issue of someone’s unacceptable behaviour.
As an employer you will be good at your business. But it’s likely you haven’t learned to deal with problematic staff. As a colleague you may hope someone else will deal with the issue, and as an employee it is likely you haven’t been given training on how to deal with a hostile customer.
First you need to clearly identify the problem. If it’s an employee then this article How to Recognize a Toxic Employee and the 3-Step Process for Addressing Them could help. If it’s a difficult customer then this article might help.
Then you need to begin a productive conversation with the person which may not always be easy.
This article offers some pointers on how to go about that.
The WCL collection has a number of books to help you through this process :
How to manage difficult people / Fairweather, Alan
“Dealing with difficult customers, colleagues, uncooperative staff, a manipulative boss – or an irritating neighbour – is a challenge many people face daily. This book shows how to identify and understand challenging behaviours, how to manage them and how to reduce stress.” (Catalogue)
Difficult people made easy : your guide to solving people problems at work / Shakiba, Eleanor
“You’re a competent professional. You excel at the technical side of your work. But so far no-one has taught you how to handle difficult people or toxic team dynamics. That’s where this book comes in. Difficult People Made Easy explains how you need to think and speak when faced with a difficult colleague. Then it reveals specific words and actions you can use.” (Catalogue)
Surviving dreaded conversations : how to talk through any difficult situation at work / Flagg, Donna
“The essential guide for managers and professionals dealing with difficult workplace conversations” (Catalogue)
Difficult conversations : how to discuss what matters most / Stone, Douglas
“The 10th-anniversary edition of the New York Times business bestseller-now updated with Answers to Ten Questions People Ask We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you’ll learn how to: – Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation – Start a conversation without defensiveness – Listen for the meaning of what is not said – Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations- Move from emotion to productive problem solving” (Catalogue) Also available as an e-book
Linkedin Learning
offers a range of courses and videos
Use search terms like difficult or toxic and staff, employees, people or personalities. These can be narrowed further with the use of words like conversations, dealing, managing.
If you require more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.