Whether it’s your neighbor, child, or your co-worker, sometimes they can be overwhelmingly stressful. Dealing with someone who puts up tons of resistance is very frustrating as you know that things can escalate out of control quickly. If you’ve ever dealt with an incredibly difficult person, then you know how the annoying and sometimes frightening the situation can get.

The truth is that it is pretty hard to reason with a difficult person. However, some techniques can help you to manage dicey situations caused by difficult people. In this article, we’ll help you to get your point across without fueling the fire. Moreover, you’ll get to know what to do in a heated moment.

The first thing to always do in such scenarios is to think strategically for you to get ahead and make the best outcome out of the unexpected. That’s just the start, read along to get to know some easy and effective tips that will help you get over any situation with a difficult person.

 

Validate

It is the most important step when dealing with a difficult person. One primary reason why people put up resistance is that they feel they are not understood or heard. Take your time to validate and listen to them as it will make them feel important. When listening, ensure you keenly get what they are saying rather than what you want to say next.

 

Stay Calm

There is a likelihood of emotions charging up when dealing with a difficult person. Don’t get caught up when things heat up. Monitor your mood, breathing, and attitude. By doing this, the difficult person will also cool down and reason up with you. Of course, it will take some time.

 

Think like Them

At one point, get into their shoes. Get to know what that person wants. Ask yourself if you were in their situation, what would you want to be addressed, or what would it feel like? Seeing from the difficult person’s point of view will help you get far. Rather than judging that person, think like that person by placing yourself in his or her shoe.

Do Not Resist

There is a common phrase that says, what you resist, persists.’ Resisting difficult people will make them resist you even more than you expected. Take a little extra time and get to know their point of view by asking them questions or clarifications for you to understand them. You can even nod your head, yes for the difficult person to see that you understand.

 

Maintain Respect and Dignity

What will make the difficult person even more complicated, is lack of respect and dignity. Yes, at some point, the difficult person may lose his or her respect, but should not apply to you. You want to get over the situation; therefore, giving the same treatment will not be helpful. Always reflect dignity and respect in your conversation.

 

Look for Someone Around Who Might Help You Out

Reaching out for help from someone else will always turn around things, especially if you are unable to control the situation. This is important, particularly when dealing with an irate customer at work. Quickly get your colleague to help you out. Remember to be smart when reaching out for help as in some cases, things can escalate to worse scenarios.