I have had a thing about frogs, ever since I heard how the word "frog" stands for Fully Rely On God. But I'm also a fan of Kermit the Frog. My sister-in-law gave me a book for Christmas entitled: Before You Leap: A Frog's-Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons written, of course, by Kermit. Today, I happened to turn to the page Kermit wrote on handling difficult people. I thought I'd share a bit of his wisdom on how to handle those people that push your buttons.
- Be Agreeable. Remember, if you agree to go get them chocolate, chances are they'll be a lot more agreeable too. Even if it's only temporary, it's worth the effort.
- Be Firm, But Flexible. Never give in on issues that are really important to you. But be fexible on the little things.
- Show Your True Feelings. If someone is getting you hot under the collar, loosen your collar so that some steam seeps out. This may not make them less disagreeable, but the vapors are really great for you complexion.
- Dont Make Yourself A Target. I always thought that being green and blending in with things was a bad thing, but then I realized that it's great camouflage when some irate individual is looking to make my life miserable.
- Be Relentlessly Upbeat. If there's one thing I've learned from dealing with Miss Piggy, it's that "It is far better to be upbeat than to be beat up." The best defense is to not be offensive. So I always keep a smile on my face, a hop in my step and a car running just outside the door.
- Embrace Other Points of View. So the world you live in and the folks around you are crazy. It may not be normal, but this is your life, so make yourself at home and go a little crazy too.
- Tap Into Your Inner Best Self. It's natural to get upset when someone is being difficult. But I find that when you fight fire with fire, you tend to get burned. So I try to visualize my most peaceful self, the kind and wonderful Kermit who resides inside of me. And when I've successfully visualized this perfect frog, I send him out to deal with the problem.
- Give Gifts. When all else fails, give them stuff. On the other hand, this rewards bad behavior. On the other hand, it's far better to give than to receive--particularly when you're giving a gift and you're receiving a fist.
Kermit ends by saying "Do your best and treat others well, and I guarantee the best is yet to come." Makes sense to me. Thanks, Kermit.
How do you cope with difficult people at work?
Posted by: www.aboutdifficultpeopleatwork.info | April 15, 2008 at 11:00 PM