Activity 1
INTRODUCTION
Ask Explorers the following questions:
- Have you ever had to deal with a difficult person at school or on a project?
- What happens when someone is hard to work with?
- What should you do when someone is difficult to work with?
After soliciting answers, share these guidelines for working with difficult people.
- Forgive the co-worker if he or she did something to hurt you.
- Decide if it is really important for the co-worker to know you are right.
- Don’t respond if someone says something negative.
- Don’t talk with a co-worker about your negative feelings for another co-worker.
- Don’t react negatively or with anger in the heat of the moment.
- Try to understand how your co-worker feels.
- Try to understand how other people see your actions.
- Look for lessons to be learned through the conflict.
- Ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is if you do or do not respond.
- Avoid heated discussions or raising your voice.
- Step outside or close your office door for a few minutes to calm down.
- Be nice to someone, even if he or she isn’t nice to you.