According to consultant Gerry Smith and Shaun Belding, author of three books on dealing with difficult people at the office, how you handle the people described below can improve the quality of the work environment for everyone.

  • People who gossip. If it’s about you they gossip, confront them, or get the help from your boss to straighten this out.
  • People who take their ideas and work as their own. In a meeting, if they pint out ideas which are originally yours, tell him privately after the meeting not to do that again. Put your name on any document you work.
  • People who continually interrupt. Calmly tell the offender to wait until you finish.
  • People who blame you and others. They will get angry or laugh it off when you coolly say, “Why is it always someone else’s fault?” This reaction means they got hit by this remark.
  • People who embarrass you publicly. Say this, “I know you did not intend to embarrass me, but you did.”
  • People who don’t follow through. A worker cannot hold another worker accountable. Tell them to stop it or you will report it to your boss.  
  • People who bully. Ignore their bullies or still show them your kindness (if you can afford it) to them. Showing kindness may put off their bullying.