151 Quick Ideas to Deal With Difficult People

108Temper Criticism With Praise

Bob Miglani grew up serving chili dogs and chocolate-dipped cones at his family’s Dairy Queen store in New Jersey. When a customer dropped an ice cream cone, the store replaced it free of charge. No questions. No arguments.

Why the policy, which seemed to benefit the customer much more than the store? “Because it preserves the integrity of our business and it’s the right thing to do,” he says.

To preserve the integrity of your relationship with a difficult colleague you may have to perform the unexpected at times. That could well include praising the colleague when the person does something right. It won’t be easy. It takes a lot of courage to rise above the natural instinct to belittle everything a troublemaker ...