- Assess the situation
- Stand up for yourself
- Let them run down, i. e., let the bully say what ever they want to say, wait for the moment when they have no more fuel to burn
- Don't make an eye contact with them, distract yourself
- Make them sit down
- Call them by some other name, if you talk to them by their first name call them by their surname or their pet name
- Present your point
- If still they are out of control, wait till they are done and leave
- Come back with a bigger battle to win the war. Only unlucky people have perfect situations
Facing the Snippers:
If you remember, they are the passive aggressives, so:
- Surface their attack
- Openly ask them- "Why are you doing this to me?"
- If you are in a group, take a poll about what opinion the majority has about who is being difficult.
Next, the exploders who are characterized as 'paranoids':
- Ask them to "STOP!!!"
- Ask them " Can you identify what you are talking about??"
- Make them 'THINK"
In line are the not-so-harmful but a could-be-spoil-sport- the complainers:
Quiet often we find ourselves in this what-to-do situation when say 'A' complains to 'B' about 'C'. What should you do?
- Ask them to write down the complain or whatever the trouble is.
- When you listen- listen attentively
- You intiate reasoning
The Super-agreeables:
- Reinforce honesty- complement them when you think they gave their honest opinion and not just agreed for the sake of it
- Be personal with them, i.e., let them say what they want in a group, ask them their opinion a little later again, when no one is around and then make them realise that they should have their honest say in front of everyone too.
When in conversation with a wet-blanket :
- Avoid getting drawn into it
- Stop arguing
And finally- the know-it-alls:
- Make sure you have done your home work throughly
- NEVER compete with them
- Use questions, ask them the hows and the whys and the whos
By the time you reach this part of the post, you are a graduate in handling the difficult people...So congratulations!!! Hoever, if you might not have read carefully let me bring one point to your notice- I said a graduate and not a Master as mastery can come only through practice and experience!
But before you go off, let me give a word of caution- Do not judge people just on one instance.. you may mistake a wet-blanket for a know-it-all or something like that. So before 'coping' first make sure that you have got the right angle or it may back-fire!
And as once my mother told me- ' Excellence has always been achieved by those who dared to believe that something inside them is superior to the circumstances (and not the people)!
Till my next post...Believe in yourself...!!