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Dealing With Difficult People
حقيقةٌ لم يعد بوسعك إنكارها بعد الآن؛ الموظفون المشاكسون موجودون في كل مكان، وعليك بوصفك مديراً أن تتعلم كيف تتعامل معهم. سواء أكانوا مرؤوسين، أم مديرين زملاء، يمكن أن يتخذ الموظفون المشاكسون وسلوكهم المحبط أنماطاً كثيرة: تأخر متكرر ومزمن، أو أداء دون المستوى المطلوب، أو نزق وسرعة غضب وانفعال مع الزبائن، أو مشاحنات ومشاجرات بين الموظفين، أو تفاهات متبادلة عبر الرسائل الإلكترونية، وانهماك في قيل وقال ونشر الشائعات. وما هذا كله إلا غيض من فيض من أنماط المشاكسات الأكثر شيوعاً؛ سلبية مستمرة مقاومة لتغيير مطلوب، أو انتقاد شديد للأفكار الجديدة، وتشكٍ دائمٌ وإهمال للالتزامات يمكن أن تبرز في ميادين العمل. تتضمن أنماط السلوك المشاكس الأكثر خطورةً تعليقاتٍ غير لائقة، يس&#
140 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Harvard Business Publishing
325 books796 followersHarvard Business Publishing (HBP) is a publisher founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, independent corporation and an affiliate of Harvard Business School (distinct from Harvard University Press), with a focus on improving business management practices. The company offers articles, books, case studies, simulations, videos, learning programs, and digital tools to organizations and subscribers.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.
HBP consists of three market units: Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group. Their offering consists of print and digital media (Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review Press books, Harvard Business School cases), events, digital learning (Harvard ManageMentor, HMM Spark), blended learning, and campus experiences.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 14, 2017
Read this for my 2017 book challenge (a book that will improve an area of your life). I felt that most of the advice given was common sense, and didn't really add to what I already know and do about difficult coworkers. It was all from a supervisor/manager perspective dealing with reports, to boot, which doesn't match the peer-to-peer coping I was looking for. (Though admittedly, most of the skills can be critically applied without much finagling.)
This book was a compilation of suggestions from other authors; I suspect a better approach would be to use this book as a gateway to the source material. If a particular chapter speaks to you, go find the original book it's based on.
This book was a compilation of suggestions from other authors; I suspect a better approach would be to use this book as a gateway to the source material. If a particular chapter speaks to you, go find the original book it's based on.
July 31, 2019
Not what I was expecting. Very, heartachingly superficial. So I couldn't gather much help from this book I am afraid. 2.5/5
January 11, 2020
Empathy is good, but identifying where people come from with their particular behavior helps you understand how to win everyone.
March 21, 2020
Algún que otro buen consejo sí que da. Pero solo si alguien se los presta consideren leer esto. Nada de comprarlo, ¿eh?
May 18, 2021
Fácil de leer con ejemplos sencillos para poder manejar gente difícil en el trabajo...
July 8, 2022
"Žmonės nepalieka organizacijų. Jie palieka savo bosus".
November 25, 2008
Managing conflict at work is kind of like Kenny Rogers says in “The Gambler”: “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run.”
Learning what to do — as a manager — during disputes in the workplace is the topic of “Dealing with Difficult People,” a tidy little collection of articles from the “Harvard Management Update” and the “Harvard Management Communication Letter.”
Full of short and to-the-point articles and helpful suggestions, the slim book is a guide for senior to middle managers for dealing with difficult employees. It offers useful information for management types as well as anyone who needs to brush up on conflict resolution in the workplace.
As someone who avoids conflict like the plague, I particularly enjoyed the chapter called “Don’t Just Do Something — Sit There.”
“If a dispute doesn’t interfere with an employee’s performance, does not disrupt the work environment, and is not a violation of company policy, then ‘benign neglect’ is probably a suitable approach for a manager,” said David Lipsky, director of the Institute of Conflict Resolution at Cornell University.
Managers should look at such situations as “an opportunity for your staff members to develop their problem-solving skills.”However, the book notes, there are certain situations in which a manager should definitely intervene:
•When the disagreement is between an assertive employee and a timid, less vocal person.
•When an argument between two employees has broadened to encompass additional staff members.
•When the conflict involves illegal conduct, such as sexual harassment or civil rights violations.
However, the laissez-faire approach to management isn’t always the best tack, per the chapter “Don’t Avoid Conflicts — Manage Them”
“Ducking conflict,” Monci J. Williams, author of the chapter, advises, “may actually make it harder for us to achieve our goals.”Managers, when they see a conflict brewing, “may notice that both parties repeatedly assert their own needs and wishes, and tell each other why the other guy is wrong. The experts call this the ‘attack/defend spiral,’ and it’s where most of us flame out.”
The solution, according to the Harvard experts, is to use “neutral ‘opening’ and ‘informing’ statements to encourage the other person to open up. Comments such as ‘I know we’ve both been very concerned about X, but I also know that Y is very important to you; I’d like to understand that better’ encourage the other person to talk about her concerns and wants.”
(But doesn’t that take for granted a civilized and polite workplace?)
Also noted is “When to Walk Away from a Fight,” in a chapter written by Rebecca M. Saunders.
During a work-related argument, “If the other person is fidgeting, leaning forward, or shaking a finger in your face, then back off politely,” Saunders writes. “If both parties insist they are right and refuse to back down, the cost can be high — angry words and hard feelings that never go away can make the workplace unpleasant for everyone.”
It’s important to “take a breath and decide if it’s worth escalating or not,” she said.
And, like “The Gambler” says, “Now every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.”Remember to play your cards right when dealing with difficult folks at work.
I love a good poker metaphor.
Review also on my blog at: http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs...
Learning what to do — as a manager — during disputes in the workplace is the topic of “Dealing with Difficult People,” a tidy little collection of articles from the “Harvard Management Update” and the “Harvard Management Communication Letter.”
Full of short and to-the-point articles and helpful suggestions, the slim book is a guide for senior to middle managers for dealing with difficult employees. It offers useful information for management types as well as anyone who needs to brush up on conflict resolution in the workplace.
As someone who avoids conflict like the plague, I particularly enjoyed the chapter called “Don’t Just Do Something — Sit There.”
“If a dispute doesn’t interfere with an employee’s performance, does not disrupt the work environment, and is not a violation of company policy, then ‘benign neglect’ is probably a suitable approach for a manager,” said David Lipsky, director of the Institute of Conflict Resolution at Cornell University.
Managers should look at such situations as “an opportunity for your staff members to develop their problem-solving skills.”However, the book notes, there are certain situations in which a manager should definitely intervene:
•When the disagreement is between an assertive employee and a timid, less vocal person.
•When an argument between two employees has broadened to encompass additional staff members.
•When the conflict involves illegal conduct, such as sexual harassment or civil rights violations.
However, the laissez-faire approach to management isn’t always the best tack, per the chapter “Don’t Avoid Conflicts — Manage Them”
“Ducking conflict,” Monci J. Williams, author of the chapter, advises, “may actually make it harder for us to achieve our goals.”Managers, when they see a conflict brewing, “may notice that both parties repeatedly assert their own needs and wishes, and tell each other why the other guy is wrong. The experts call this the ‘attack/defend spiral,’ and it’s where most of us flame out.”
The solution, according to the Harvard experts, is to use “neutral ‘opening’ and ‘informing’ statements to encourage the other person to open up. Comments such as ‘I know we’ve both been very concerned about X, but I also know that Y is very important to you; I’d like to understand that better’ encourage the other person to talk about her concerns and wants.”
(But doesn’t that take for granted a civilized and polite workplace?)
Also noted is “When to Walk Away from a Fight,” in a chapter written by Rebecca M. Saunders.
During a work-related argument, “If the other person is fidgeting, leaning forward, or shaking a finger in your face, then back off politely,” Saunders writes. “If both parties insist they are right and refuse to back down, the cost can be high — angry words and hard feelings that never go away can make the workplace unpleasant for everyone.”
It’s important to “take a breath and decide if it’s worth escalating or not,” she said.
And, like “The Gambler” says, “Now every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.”Remember to play your cards right when dealing with difficult folks at work.
I love a good poker metaphor.
Review also on my blog at: http://www3.allaroundphilly.com/blogs...
February 28, 2022
This case studies in this book are outstanding and very true to life.
What is valuable about the book is that no single answer is prescribed, nor is there one. Instead, we are given perspectives from 3 or 4 different people (consultants, psychologists, HODs from other organizations) who share their approaches to addressing these cases. None of the approaches are quick fixes, that also make the book more valuable.
This is a must read for CXOs, HR professionals, Organizational Psychologists, Senior Trainers and Facilitators.
What is valuable about the book is that no single answer is prescribed, nor is there one. Instead, we are given perspectives from 3 or 4 different people (consultants, psychologists, HODs from other organizations) who share their approaches to addressing these cases. None of the approaches are quick fixes, that also make the book more valuable.
This is a must read for CXOs, HR professionals, Organizational Psychologists, Senior Trainers and Facilitators.
October 2, 2007
I didn't get through much of this one. It is quite dry and is really more for managers. I felt that it was a much more effective use of my time to sign up for a workshop rather than continue wading through this book.
November 10, 2008
Dealing with work 'buttheads'!
Want to read
November 17, 2015As seen in FYI: For Your Improvement.
Read
November 4, 2024School
April 9, 2016
Helped me out in uncomfortable situation.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews