Avoid Becoming A Difficult Person Yourself

Do you realize you're probably considered to be a "difficult person" by at least one other person in your office? The good news is that when you recognize your own personal temperament and style of behavior, you can take steps to adapt your style, so it blends more harmoniously with the styles of the people around you.

o you realize you're probably considered to be a "difficult person" by at least one other person in your office? The good news is that when you recognize your own personal temperament and style of behavior, you can take steps to adapt your style, so it blends more harmoniously with the styles of the people around you. Let's examine the behavior you can engage in to overcome the negative conduct that's associated with each of the four main personality types.

The first personality type is Dominant-Controlling. If you fall into this category, you may be viewed by others as being dominant, demanding, controlling, or impatient. To avoid this, ask people for their opinions, and make time to explore other viewpoints. When feeling impatient about a decision, ask a person with a more thoughtful or analytical style to help you achieve balance.

The second personality type is Analytical-Obsessive. If you fit in this category, people may view you as being analytical, obsessive, or rigid. To overcome this, discuss the parameters of your projects with others, and find out the level of quality or accuracy that's required. Then you should attempt to meet the standard but not over-exceed it. When you're asked to make a decision, ask a colleague with a different personality type for advice.

The third personality type is Expressive-Impulsive. People in this category are often viewed as being impulsive, excitable, expressive, or self-centered. If you find yourself in this category, soften your tone and voice when speaking with others, and try to listen more than you talk. Ask for opinions and be open to ideas that are different from your own. Write down your plans for carrying out ideas, and try to engage with people who are more organized and detail-oriented than you are.

The final personality type is Skeptical-Negative. If you belong in this category, people may view you as being skeptical, negative, pessimistic, cynical, or doubtful. To prevent this, try to avoid getting drawn into negative conversations. Instead, simply listen and acknowledge what you've heard. Ask how the situation could be improved or changed, and try to steer the discussion in a more positive direction.

The goal of adapting your behavior to different situations is not to change who you are. Instead, it's to help you recognize your own role in difficult interactions, which should help you work better with people who have different styles.

I have been teaching and training agents, team leaders, supervisors, managers and admins of call centers and other businesses in BPO related fields. This series, comes as a result of that experience. I have more than 4,000 modules that I plan on sharing here. This is # 001-08