Dealing with difficult people at work and in your personal life does mean understanding a wide range of personalities. In the Dealing with People pack of cards there is a very special person known as the Overextender. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE WHO ARE OVEREXTENDERS The Overextender has been explored in other articles, but to briefly describe them is to understand they cannot say no. They most often say yes to doing more and more and just cannot deliver. They ultimately overextend themselves and then let others down. DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND NOT THE USUAL ONES Overextenders are not the typical picture in dealing with difficult people. They're not nasty, objectionable or aggressive. But, because they over promise and cannot deliver this results in lots of problems. This is particularly true as you are relying on them to do what they say they will. HELP IS NEEDED FOR THESE OVEREXTENDERS TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS An Overextender can certainly change their behavioral habits but do not expect it to be easy. If you are the manager and working with difficult people who are Overextenders they'll need your assistance. Or else they'll be seen as unreliable by their work colleagues and then ignored and become isolated by others. Or they'll have others take advantage of them and end up burnt out. DEALING WITH PEOPLE KNOWN AS OVEREXTENDERS So what do you do with Overextenders? How can you assist them to change their habits and say no more often rather than trying to do it all? Well, get ready. Here's 7 great steps for you in your leadership role in dealing with difficult people at work to help the Overextender. Step 1. Be very clear with them about what you need them to do. Step 2. Have a very clear start and finish date for the task. Make sure that the start and finish dates are not too far away as this will only result in them losing focus. Step 3. Talk through with them how they are going to do what you are asking them to do. Step 4. Show them different ways to say no to others and doing tasks that will get in the way of them finishing this task they agreed to do for you. Role play with them different strategies to say no to others. Step 5. Before they say a final 'yes', give them the option of saying no and be clear that you would accept their need to say no now, rather than promise what they cannot deliver. Step 6. If and when they say yes, then go over again with them, the task and the timeline to start and complete what they have agreed to do for you. Step 7. Assist them further with their work colleagues. Explain to others that this person will focus on a special task and will not be taking on lots of other tasks. HELP IS NEEDED FOR THESE OVEREXTENDERS TO CHANGE Dealing with difficult people at work who are Overextenders does means assisting them change as part of your leadership and managerial role. Helping them move through these steps will be extremely important so they can go from overpromising and being unable to deliver. To taking back control of their own lives and following through on what they say they will do. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE AT WORK RESULT The bottom line of such changes is that the person who is an Overextender will learn to say no more often and not overextend themselves. Others will then know they are reliable and only say what they really can do. YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLE AND MORE PRODUCTIVITY You will experience greater harmony and teamwork in the working environment. You will also have certainly assisted the Overextender as an important part of your leadership and managerial role in dealing with difficult people at work.
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