Why People Become Difficult at Work
Ever experienced someone being really difficult to get on with at work, and wondered WHY?
There are four key reasons:
- Unconscious Reactions to Stress
They’re reacting to what’s going in inside the organisation and its operating environment (and it’s likely there are things beyond their control that the organisation itself needs to fix) - Positive Intentions
They’re trying to achieve something but are having the wrong impact - Self-Doubts and Self-Sabotage
Their own thought-processes are piling on more pressure and more rigidity in how they behave - Inflexible Approaches
They’re not switching the focus of their intentions to suit the people and circumstances around them.
When things aren’t going smoothly, if we can understand what’s behind the way someone behaves at work, it makes it much easier to help them and others to get along well together.
There’s still a lot to do, and it’s important not to jump to blaming or shaming. But understanding Why can be a crucial first step.
To discover more practical tips and strategies for dealing with a difficult person and quickly improving workplace relationships, please check-out my book The 9 Types of Difficult People or explore more of the articles and resources on this website.
