• Keep calm while others lose their heads and hearts.
• Limit your exposure to the panic-stricken media, especially social media.
• Attend to the news you need to hear to keep you and yours safe and well.
• Do your best to reassure others less able to withstand this mayhem.
• Do what the experts advise you to do.
• Stay alert for the opportunities all crises contain.
• Remain productive, positive and focused.

Because of the disagreement, tension and emotional repercussions of dealing with a difficult person, most people lose sight of reality.

Quite naturally in these circumstances, most people take the problem personally. Rarely do people take it personally in the right way.

The wrong way to take it personally is to foster the emotional reaction that they are slighting you. They dislike you, disrespect you. Pushbacks and disagreements that are interpreted as a personal attack. Read More

“If you do what you’ve always done…”

“You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking.”

When immersed in a difficult situation with a difficult person, hard-coded behaviours and emotions reign supreme. So, how on earth can you think, feel or act differently to achieve a different outcome?

Try this unusual exercise, and make sure to invest energy and effort to make sure you answer these questions are fully and frankly as you can. Read More

When you are facing up to dealing with difficult people, many thoughts and emotions crowd in. These tend to be negative - about them and the situation.

“How could they behave in such a way? They are so blinkered! So frustrating - they just ignore me. They shouldn’t treat people like that. They’re rude.”

And so it goes on. Time passes. The problem persists and the emotions become entrenched - automatic reactions.

Totally understandable. After all, you’re there trying to do a good job, help them even. Yet this is the way they treat you.

Trouble is, they may well be thinking and feeling similarly towards you. Sorry, yes, they may think you are a difficult person. Warped though that idea may seem, it could well be their reality. Read More

The Broken Promises political dilemma is commonplace. Due to the power balance, it could almost be inevitable, especially if the senior has this as part of their motivation Modus Operandi.

There are many variations on the theme, but a typical scenario plays out like this: Read More

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to mention to you that we’ve decided to reorganise a little. We’ve not really been getting consistent standards with local reporting, so would you be okay to take solid-line responsibility globally for your function? They’ll still report into the country heads, but you’ll be the one calling the shots. Don’t worry, everyone agreed. Keep me the loop.”

After the initially euphoria of being elevated to a global level of responsibility wears off, reality dawns. How on earth are you going to pull this off?

Situations vary widely, but some common challenges you will face include: Read More