Handling Difficult Colleagues Doesn't Have to Be Difficult

Nothing prepared me for managing people more than parenthood. It surprised me…probably as much as it may surprise you. But if you’re not a parent…it doesn’t matter. The concepts are simple, and they’re easy to use – whether you’re dealing with stubborn co-workers, troublesome staff members or bosses who make despots seem docile.
​
Working from the top down, there are numerous volumes that tackle the problem of working for jerks (and there are probably more titles that deal with subordinates). Plus, there are guides that help you deal with the !#*@¡¶? idiots in the office or in the cubicle next to yours. All of them have something you’ll find useful, I’m sure (assuming you’re a reasonable person yourself). But there are some situations where you’ll just have to punt.

The Listening Lesson

For example, as a manager with a small and very heterogeneous staff, including

• a man who enjoyed beating women
• a married boss who was dating a young lady in my group
• and internal clients who thought we were a post house in Hollywood (the kind of place that handles editing, visual effects and sound mixing while providing a masseuse and an in-house kitchen with a full-time chef)

the juggling was more challenging than the circus acts that throw chainsaws and cats in the air (tied together in some cases). To keep the dynamics in balance took a multi-pronged approach.

READ MORE