Posted on: Monday, June 3, 2002

60 SECONDS ON BUSINESS
Troublemakers can be dealt with

By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.

How well do you cope with troublemakers? Can you deal with bullies, people who start to raise their voices in anger?

Research from Berkeley suggests only 10 percent of the people in any given office or company are considered "troublemakers," but 70 percent of those victimized feel unable to cope. They can't seem to keep themselves and the business functioning under the pressure of dealing with them.

Consider a common troublemaker type: He's loud, expects his own way, and has been running over people for years. It started on the playground when he grabbed the ball and got away with it.

There are several things you can do.

You can stand your ground and buy some time. Look them directly in the eye, call them by name, and postpone the decision; but don't say things like, "You're wrong" or "That's a stupid idea."

Try defusing lines like, "Maybe you're right," and "Let's get more information about it." Or, "Maybe it is a good idea, ... before we go ahead, are there any problems we haven't thought of yet?"

Although they mean more or less the same thing, it's easier to get a positive reaction from "Maybe you're right," than from, "Maybe you're wrong."

You may need to disagree with them, but be prepared to lose.

If you do fight, be prepared to win. Unfortunately, many people stop before the confrontation is really resolved, and wind up with a bigger problem in the long run.

Reach Dr. Drake Beil at drake@60secondsonbusiness.