Bloomsbury Publishing - Deal with Difficult People: How to Cope with Tricky Situations and People

Deal with
difficult people

How to cope with tricky situations
in the workplace

Revised edition first published in Great Britain 2010

A & C Black Publishers Ltd
36 Soho Square
London W1D 3QY
www.acblack.com

Copyright A & C Black Publishers Ltd, 2010

First edition 2004 Bloomsbury Publishing, 2004

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced,
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permission of the Publisher.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual organisation
acting or refraining from action as a result of the material in the
publication can be accepted by A & C Black Publishers Ltd or
the author.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN: 978-1-40813-491-7

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in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and
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Design by Fiona Pike, Pike Design, Winchester
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Contents

Life would be wonderful if you could work in anoffice without worrying about other people andwhat theyre up to. But everyone has a network ofrelationships throughout the organisation, and ifyou dont handle them carefully, you could beheading for an office nightmare.

You dont have to work somewhere long to workout whether or not is has a political culture. Inthese organisations,whoyou know tends tomatter more thanwhatyou know. Friendshipsand casual conversations take on a newsignificanceone wrong word to the wrongperson could end up scuppering that promotion.

The context in which people have come to knoweach other is also important in a politicalculture, as that can imply certain kinds of loyalty.Family, school, or social networks that intrudeinto professional territory can embroil people inall sorts of Machiavellian manoeuvrings thateventually create a politically chargedworkplace. If you find yourself in this sort ofminefield, this chapter offers advice on how topick your way through. It also suggests ways formanagers to avoid and discourage politicking.

Step one: Watch for signs of office politics

Politics plays a part in all organisations; it is an inevitable effect of putting human beings together in some sort of hierarchical arrangement. Indicators of office politics are often fairly easy to pick upjust hang around near the kettle, water cooler, or canteen in any organisation.

Listen out for clues about how the business works under the surface. Perhaps you might hear comments from people who have been passed over for promotion in favour of the recruiting managers former golf partner.

Watch out for those who succeed by publicly supporting their boss, or by ensuring that they are always in the right place at the right time. Such successes again indicate that hidden agendas may be at play.

TOP TIP

If youre already embroiled in a political
situation, its important to go through the
correct channels to avoid compromising
yourself further. Explain what has happened
to your supervisor or manager. If the political
situation involves your boss, you may want
to approach your human resources (HR)
department, if you have one, to ask their
advice about how to proceed.

Step two: Ensure your own survival

Self-preservation is always desirable, but dont use political dirty tricks to survive, whatever your level of responsibility they will only create new nightmares. If your organisation is rife with politics, you can survive by following some simple rules.

Observe the organisations political style without getting involved until youre sure that you know whats going on. You may have started to notice coincidences or inconsistencies. Bide your time and watch the process so that you can begin to understand what the patterns and motivations are.

Keep your own counsel during this period and work according to your own values; dont try to change your values to match those of the organisation; under pressure, your own values will reassert themselves forcefully. Remember that you just cant please everyone all the time, so use your own integrity to make decisions.

Build a network of trusted allies. During your observation phase you will have identified who these people could be. Its also a good idea to build a network outside the organisation to create options and opportunities for yourself. This will take the focus off work for a while and gives you time to reconfirm or realign your values.

TOP TIP

Male networks have controlled the power in
businesses for hundreds of years and they are
almost impenetrable. If you are a woman in a
mans world, you may find it helpful to find a
mentor (male or female) inside or outside the
business, who will champion you and look
out for information and opportunities for you.
Build your relationships carefully and find
ways to contribute your skills and ideas that
will be valued by your male colleagues. Dont
let them take advantage of your talents,
though; follow up and ask for feedback.
In this way, you will build their respect
and find a tenable position amongst them.

Expose other peoples politically motivated behaviour. When colleagues say one thing and do another, or seem to be sabotaging your decisions or work relationships, use your assertiveness skills to challenge their motivation: You seem to be unhappy with the decisions Ive made; would you like to discuss them? They will either have to deny your assertion or confront it, but at least the issue will be out in the open.