Who is in your day?

Every day you encounter all sorts of people – people who are easy to get along with and others that are not.  Here are some tips for those difficult people that you might run into on a daily basis.

Clients.  Look at who you’re working with on a regular basis.  Which clients are you spending the most time with?  Unfortunately, many times you’re spending more time with your difficult clients than with those clients that are a joy to work with.  You might be putting up with clients because they are paying your bills.  Sometimes these difficult clients are doing business with you because no one else will work with them and put up with their nonsense.

Step 1:  Identify the type of difficulty that you’re having with them.  They may be calling too much, making constant changes, demanding immediate attention, the list can go on and on.

Step 2:  Realize that you don’t “have to” work with someone and do whatever they tell you to do.  If they are providing the bulk of your business, look for other clients to fill in their income.

Step 3:  Put a “new” policy, process or contract in place that spells out your boundary that you’ve come up with.  If they are calling too much, let them know they are limited to a certain amount of time each month – when they have used up that time, they must pay you extra.  If they are constantly making changes, limit the number of changes they can make and charge them for any additional changes.

Step 4:  Be prepared to “fire” yourself.  If a client is too difficult, simply state that there isn’t a good fit and they should find the service elsewhere.

Co-workers.  I often find employees will brood about the difficult person, wish things would magically change or hope the difficult person will find a new place to work.  Few want to take the easiest route – do something about it.  If you’re unwilling to do something about the situation, stop complaining about it and learn to live with it.  Most likely things won’t change.

Step 1:  Prepare ahead of time.  Think about what behavior is difficult and what effect that behavior has on you.  The formula is “When xxx happens I yyy”.  Remember this is about the behavior not the person.

Step 2:  Find a private place to have a quick chat.  Avoid using the word “you” as much as possible.  Your conversation is about you, not your co-worker.  For example, your co-worker comes in every day and wants to talk.  You want to get to work and you don’t want to be rude – so you are torn.  The conversation could go something like this.  “My job is really important to me.  When I talk in the morning, I don’t start my work on time.  I’m not going to be able to talk first thing anymore.  Maybe we could catch up during lunch or after work.”

The next blog will discuss others that might be in your every day life – your staff or your boss.  Some of these people can be difficult too – so stay tuned.

What tips do you have to share about difficult clients or co-workers?  What have you done in the past?  Share your thoughts below.

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