Managing Difficult Personalities
Author: Lynn Fountain
| CPE Credit: |
2 hours for CPAs |
We've all been there, trying to reason with an incredibly difficult person. The situation proves frustrating, maddening, and sometimes even frightening. The truth is you can't reason with an unreasonable person. However, there are proven techniques to better manage such dicey situations. When you're dealing with a person behaving unreasonably, the fear response center in your brain is going to be activated. It's up to you to engage your conscious mind in order to defuse the situation. Some of these tips are general, suggesting a mindset to cultivate.
The difficult business issues that arose in 2020 due to the onset of the COVID pandemic will certainly continue into the future. Often, professionals resort to changing positions or moving to another area. However, difficult people are everywhere. It might be possible to avoid the first one or two difficult people, but how about the third, fifth and tenth person you encounter? Hiding isn't a permanent solution. So rather than turning to some drastic decisions each time, why not equip yourself with the skills to deal with them?
There are tactics that professionals can use with your boss, a customer, a family member, even a stranger. Keep in mind: The closer your relationship with the person, the more knowledge you'll have of what will best work to calm things down.
Publication Date: May 2023
Designed For
All organizations, employees, management, staff, vendors, and board members.
Topics Covered
- Signs of a Difficult Person
- Actions You Can Take
- Evaluating Roles
- Tips for Communicating With Difficult People
- How to De-escalate a Toxic Issue
- Effective Tactics To Use When Dealing with Difficult People
Learning Objectives
- Identify the "signs" that you may be dealing with a difficult person
- Recognize and evaluate your own role in the relationship and what may be causing difficulty on your side
- Identify and describe tips for communicating with difficult people
- Identify how to de-escalate a toxic issue
- Identify the most effective tactics to utilize when dealing with difficult people
Level
Basic
Instructional Method
Self-Study
NASBA Field of Study
Auditing (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites
None
Advance Preparation
None
