Jan 24, 2019. There are two kinds of difficult people at work. The first kind is someone who may be too loud, too slow, or too pessimistic. This kind of person can often be reasoned with. Disagreements can be negotiated and worked out. The second kind of person is not as easy to handle. This person doesn't respond well to reason and negotiation.
You can’t set clear boundaries, feed their egos, or make them keep their agreements with you. Their main focus of attention is the substance they’re abusing.
Research has found that the potentially violent individual is usually a white male, 25–40 years old, who is a loner with a history of violence and current family/marital problems.
If they are wrong about something, you'll have to probably show them why it's really in their best interest to change their minds.
Because of their lack of clear boundaries, they will often barge into your office or interrupt conversations. Due to their inability to control themselves, they tend to do whatever they feel like doing in the moment. They can be very impulsive and may change their minds repeatedly.
A response to a potentially violent person should generally not be on the one-to-one level. You should have an entire system in place at your organization, including a Threat Assessment Team, a plan to evacuate the building and a phone line to anonymously report potential threats.
The people we’ve been discussing are not easy to deal with; but if you know whom you’re dealing with and what to say and do with them, you’ll be able to cope more effectively.