About the author
About this book
1.A short course in human relations
Difficult, who me?
2.A quick guide to the seven classically difficult types – or how to sound like an Expert in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee
Recognise anyone?
First the diagnosis
3.A fast-track guide to conflict and how to handle it
What conflict is
4.Dealing with bosses who drive you barmy
Mr angry
Never let them see you sweat
5.Colleagues to throttle
Competition crazy
Rivals, antagonists and getting personal
It’s always the quiet ones
6.Staff to strangle
Independent or stubborn?
When the big hand gets to twelve
Good bosses don’t pry – but they should try
Waving or drowning
Finding out how good a boss you’ve been
Seriously difficult members of staff
7.Massaging the egoist
If the difficulty is an egomaniac boss
If the difficulty is an egoist working for you
The egomaniac colleague
Knocking the know-all
8.Handling aggressive people without getting thumped on the nose
If an aggressive manager is trying to dump on your ideas
If you’re stuck with a project that will never fly
If you’re being stabbed in the back
9.Putting a bomb under the lazy ones
Clock-watchers, rule-bookers and not invented here
If you are held back by a idle colleague 00; a boss who loiters 00; how you eat an elephant The criminally lazy
10.Beating the bullies at their own game
The decibel dictator
When you can’t do anything right
When all else fails
The firework colleague
11.Moaners, groaners and critics
Cold water torture
Try building alliances, coalitions and connections
Words you don’t want to hear
When critics turn the gun on themselves
12.Perfectionists can be a pain
What turns on a perfectionist
Rules is rules
The perfectionist boss
13.Manipulating the manipulators
If you’re being lined up to take the blame
Let’s do a deal
If you’re easily flattered
If you’re flattered by your staff
14.Shifting the stubborn
When the customer knows best
15.Morale, attitude and how was it for you?
If you’re sick of the sick
Everyone having a sickie
Cliques, circles and witches’ covens
16.Fault-finders and nit-pickers
If you have a nit-picker for a boss
Nit-picking colleagues
17.Gossip: a bush fire you can do without
The answer to gossip problems
Prevention is better than cure
18.The customer is always right – really?
Dealing with difficult customers
You want it when?
Avoiding trouble
The really, really, really, really difficult customer
Remind them how good you are
The screamer
Screaming about service
If a member of your staff blows a gasket
When the screamer is the boss
What’s winding them up
Dealing with very rude people without being very rude
Disguised rudeness
19.Complaints: we love them
Six steps to success
20.e-difficult@yourplace
21.Meetings, bloody meetings!
Technology
To meet or not to meet
Meetings-r-us
The five golden rules that make meetings productive
22.If things don’t change they’ll stay the same
There are four Cs in change
Dealing with difficult people through a period of change
23.Dealing with conflict: 10 steps to cooling it
24.Leadership and other stuff
And, finally, finally…
references
further reading