5 Expert tactics to deal with difficult people

Difficult people come in every conceivable variety. Some talk constantly and never listen. Others must always have the last word. Some coworkers fail to keep commitments. Others criticize anything that they did not create. Difficult coworkers compete with you for power, privilege, and the spotlight; some go way too far in courting the boss's positive opinion-to your detriment.

In every workplace, you will have difficult coworkers. Dealing with difficult coworkers, bosses, customers, clients, and friends is an art worth perfecting. Dealing with difficult situations at work is challenging, yet rewarding. You can increase your skill at dealing with the difficult people who surround you in your work world. Here are some tips for how to deal with difficult people.

Focus on work, not the person
You need to get the work done despite your peer's style, so don't waste time wishing he would change. Concentrate on completing the work instead.

Talk to your superiors
If all else fails, you should speak with your boss or any person of authority about your concerns. If you have talked to others who have had similar difficulties with this person, approaching your superiors with a complaint as a group can be helpful.

Give feedback
Explain to your co-worker what you are seeing and experiencing. Describe the impact of his behavior on you and provide suggestions for how he might change.

Express it
Take out some scrap paper and dump all the random and negative thoughts out of you by writing freely without editing. Continue to do so until you have nothing else to say. Now, roll the paper up into a ball, close your eyes and visualize that all the negative energy is now inside that paper ball. Toss the paper ball in the trash. Let it go.