"Communicating with IMPACT" - Patrick Donadio, MBA

Dealing with Difficult People... It seems the past few weeks I have had a few coaching clients want to talk about dealing with difficult people. Whether it is a customer or employee, difficult people are hard to handle. Here are a few tips that may help the conversation go a little smoother the next time you encounter a difficult person: 1. Stay focused on the situation, issue or the behavior, not the person . It is easy to get pulled into focusing on the person. So examine your intention. Your intention will drive where you focus. If your intention is to get even for the way you were treated or to make sure you win, you will be focused on the person. Your goal is to stay focused on the issue or behavior not the person. 2. Pick the right place and time . I have a belief that it is better to praise in public and criticizes in private. I also believe the timing is very important. If it is a big issue or going to have an impact on others, address it as soon as possible. Otherwise it mig