Dealing with difficult

people

Types of difficult people:

1. Hostile, aggresive, belligerent and

offensive
2. Complainers
3. The silent, unresponsive and the quiet
ones
4. The super agreeable
5. The negativist
6. The know-all
7. The indecisive, the hesitant

1. Hostile, agressive, belligerent and offensive

- the Sherman tank

- the sniper
- the exploder

- The Sherman tank

- abusive, abrupt and

intimidating
- value agressiveness and
confidence
- have a strong need to
prove themselves that
their view of the world is
right
- If I can make you out to
be weak, faltering and
equivocal, then I will
seem, to myself and to
others, strong and sure.

- The sniper
- more covered approach
- behind friendliness they attack

using innuendoes, non-playful

teasing and not so subtle digs
- they pair their verbal missiles
with non-verbal signals of
playfulness and friendship but in
reality they are envy and angry
- like Sherman tank, snipers
believe that making others look
bad make them look good

- The exploder
- full of rage
- their angry behaviour

can erupt out of

conversations that
seem to start friendly
- usually, these
tantrums occurs when
they feel physically or
psychologically
threatened

2. Complainers
- moan like hell about

everything but never seem to

take any action to change
anything
- see themselves as
powerless
- convert useful problem
solving into complaining
- they think that they cant
change things so its better
complain to people who can

3.The silent, unresponsive and the quiet ones

- deal with any disagreeable

situation by shutting down

- use silence as their
defensive weapon, to avoid
revealing themselves in
which way they can avoid
reprimand
- hard to communicate with
- unproductive interaction
- usually display such body
language as staring, glaring,
frowning or folded arms in an
uncomfortable position

4. Super agreeable people (a bit

like spaniel puppies)
- want to be friends with

everybody
- feel desperate need to
be liked by everybody
- tell you things that are
satisfying to hear
- use humour as a way
to ease their
conversation with others

5. The negativist
- disagree with any

suggestion
- sceptical
-dont have power over
their own lives
- unable to work
through basic human
disappointment
- embittered about life
and how life treats them

6. The know-all
- overwhelming need to

be recognised for their

intellectual ability
- dull and very tedious
- can be very persuasive
- like being centre of
attention
- have need for others to
think of them as being
important and respected

7. The indecisive, the hesitant

- bad in communicating their

own thoughts, needs and

opinions
- unable to cope with stress
- when they choose to
verbaly make contact with
other people, they speak in
short phrases or sentences
- inside the indecisive person
is usually a perfectionist
trying to get out

How to deal with them?

Remember that we are all humans!

 Be upfront with others

Try not to take things personally
Ask questions rather than make

statements
Use "I" rather than You"

 Separate the issue from the

person
Handle aggression assertively
Express appreciation when
appropriate

Thank you for listening!