Working with difficult people can be a nightmare. In dealing with difficult people in the workplace means coping with some pretty annoying habits. This habitual behavior has developed often over a very long time. CHANGING TAKES TIME TO ACHIEVE In dealing with those people who actually distress you, be sure to understand this. For this particular person it really takes time to change their habitual behavior. The more often this behavior has been repeated and longer it has been repeated, then the more difficult it is to change. For them it will require more focus and energy to change such habits and make them a thing of the past. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND THEIR HABITS You wonder why that person cannot see how their behavior is so inappropriate, negative and causing so much stress. You cannot understand why they just can't stop that behavior and behave differently. But it is not that easy to change a behavior pattern that has been in place for a very long time. It doesn't come quickly and takes time and practice to develop alternative behaviors. CAN YOU REALLY CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR? So if altering and changing habitual behavior is hard, can difficult people change their behavior? They certainly can! Everyone can change their behavior. Of course there are a range of psychological factors that influence a person's decision to change what they do. Beginning with the person's decision that they want to change. But whatever reasons, it is important for you to understand that in dealing with difficult people at work or home, they will find it hard to change. For all of us, changing our habits can be done but it doesn't happen overnight. HABITS AND THE TOOTHBRUSH EXPERIMENT To reinforce for you again about just how hard it's to modify habits, try this powerful but common place experiment . For a week, every day as you go to clean your teeth do this. Rather than holding your toothbrush in the hand you typically do, use the opposite hand. That's correct, swap hands. Brush your teeth employing the opposite hand to what you usually use for just 7 days. How does it feel for you? Clumsy? Bothersome? Challenging? Perturbing? For almost all of us, these words identify how we feel when attempting to change our habitual behaviors. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE AT WORK Can you do it? Can you brush your teeth using the other hand? Of course you can. To begin with it feels extremely awkward. But if you continue to stick to it over that week, then slowly it will become easier and you will become better at it. Over time, you'll become very used to brushing your teeth with this hand. Then if you try to change back to your original hand this too will feel awkward and take time to change back. WORKING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND TIME This experiment reinforces that changing habits takes time. So whenever you are dealing with difficult people at work or home, remember that for them to change their behavior it will take time. It will be challenging and awkward for them to do. They will need to be consistent and persistent to alter the way they act. COPING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE Therefore, in dealing with people, always remember the old saying "old habits die hard". In working with difficult people you do have to let people have a chance to change over a period of time. You need to give them some time to learn to brush their teeth with the other hand. To alter their habits. You will have to remind them and encourage them to make these changes. ACTIONS NEED TO BE EXTREMELY CONSISTENT Patience, persistent and determination are needed by those changing their behavior and those assisting them to alter these behaviors and no longer be considered as difficult people.
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