Difficult people exist in every workplace and can present all kinds of challenges. Some people stir up drama while others always seem to drop the ball. Other employees have a bad attitude and end up draining their colleagues. Or maybe you have a sales rep on your team who constantly misses deadlines or shows up late for meetings.

Paul B. Thornton, an author, speaker and adjunct professor, says that while you can’t change difficult people, you can change how you work with them. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we present ideas from Thornton on how to work with five common types of difficult people.

1. Aggressive people. It’s difficult to work with aggressive people because they like to be in control and dominate every conversation. They often believe their solution is best and don’t want to hear what others have to say.

To deal with an aggressive sales rep, Thornton recommends naming their behavior. For example, you could say, “You’re yelling. Do you mean to?” You could also match the person’s position. If they’re standing, then you stand. It also helps to establish ground rules, such as no yelling or no interruptions when someone else is speaking. Be sure to coach the aggressive people on your team on the importance of building positive relationships.

2. Victims. These kind of people are challenging to work with because they often whine and point fingers at others when things go wrong. They seldom look on the bright side and are quick to shoot down ideas.

If you have sales reps who like to play the victim, Thornton suggests quantifying their complaints. Say something like, “Do you realize you have complained about four things in the last 60 seconds?” You could also coach the employee on how to focus on the present and the future rather than mulling over something that happened in the past. Help this sales rep identify a top problem and how they plan to take initiative in solving it.

3. Rescuers. You may have a few rescuers on your sales team. These people mean well by wanting to help others, but they end up hurting the team because they often overcommit. Rather than saying no when they need to, they always agree to help. As a result, their own work doesn’t get done.

To help a rescuer, Thornton says it’s a good idea to remind the employee of what’s already on their plate. Ask something like, “How long would this task take? When will you get it done?” Keep in mind that rescuers are often people-pleasers, so you may need to coach them on how to say no without feeling guilty.

4. Perfectionists. Working with perfectionists can be tough because they set high standards for everything. While you want your team members to do their best, it can become troublesome when they need everything to be perfect before moving ahead.

Thornton recommends helping perfectionists agree on deadlines and making sure they understand the consequences if they are late. You can also coach these sales reps on which tasks require the most focused work and which ones they can complete sooner.

5. Procrastinators. Most professionals have worked with people who leave everything to the last minute. Thornton says procrastinators often cause unnecessary stress on the team because they don’t pay attention to deadlines or they just ignore them.

If some of your sales reps tend to procrastinate, you can help them by breaking down projects into smaller pieces and establishing start dates and consequences for not adhering to deadlines. Be sure to monitor these employees closely and commend them for meeting deadlines, adds Thornton.

As a leader, it’s your job to ensure everyone on your team has what they need to succeed. You can help create a more productive and happier work environment by helping employees overcome their traits that may cause stress. Difficult people sometimes don’t know how they impact the team. You can help by setting clear expectations and providing direct feedback.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Paul B. Thornton is an author, speaker and adjunct professor. His latest e-book is Leadership—Perfecting Your Approach and Style.