When handling challenging individuals in the workplace, it's crucial to identify and understand their type. This enables you to effectively address difficult situations in a focused, supportive, and successful manner. Here are nine types of difficult people you may encounter at work, along with helpful strategies for dealing with them, whether you're working alongside them or seeking to help them become less challenging.
### The Scary Specialist
This person is an expert in their field and is keen on showcasing their competence. They set very high standards and may become obstructive and critical if others don't meet their expectations. To handle them, you need to assert your boundaries and insist that they take responsibility for developing their interpersonal and functional skills.
### The Dark Strategist
This individual treats others as pawns in a strategic plan, sometimes leaving them feeling manipulated and undervalued. Understanding their big-picture, strategic thinking approach can encourage a more comprehensive and humane approach.
### The Martyr
A person with strong principles and a work ethic, the Martyr can become judgmental, uncompromising, and disconnected. To reconnect with them, visibly uphold your own principles and seek mutual compromise for sustainable progress.
### The Driving Force
Resourceful, decisive, and can-do, the Driving Force thrives on challenges but may take on too much. Protect your boundaries and communicate directly to maintain a healthy working dynamic.
### The Revolutionary
This self-starter embraces new ideas and transformation, sometimes without consensus. Working with them means finding common ground, maintaining links to possible allies, and insisting on good project management.
### The Empire Builder
Charismatic and visionary, the Empire Builder seeks control and followers to handle details. Disagree with them openly and ensure you're not only doing their "dirty work" without recognition.
### The Worrier
Detail-focused and helpful, the Worrier might become a micro-manager due to excessive worrying. Handle them by providing affirmation and mentoring, or setting clear boundaries to prevent excessive micromanagement.
### The Rock
Highly responsible and loyal, the Rock avoids what they consider risky or ill-thought-out. Include them in bigger-picture planning and frame your needs in terms of risks to counter their inflexibility.
### The People Pleaser
A warm, self-effacing individual who avoids conflict and change, the People Pleaser may overlook significant risks and opportunities. Encourage them to have tough conversations and ensure they don’t agree to challenging tasks without intending to follow through.
The best approach to dealing with challenging individuals at work is through "fierce kindness." This means understanding and supporting them to develop new, more flexible ways of responding to pressures. It also involves setting clear boundaries around acceptable behavior. By doing this, the workplace can become a space where everybody can thrive.