One of these pains-in-the-butt will call you today. Here’s how to get ready for him or her.
The steamroller: He’s a verbal bully who interrupts, complains and undercuts you. You almost wonder why he calls.
To deal with him: Step back and let him complain. He’ll eventually lose steam. When he does, say, “Now that you’ve said what’s on your mind, let me make sure I got it right and get to work on a resolution.” Then don’t back down when he tries to interrupt again.
The complainer. She whines, points fingers and never admits that she might have done something that contributed to her troubles. In her eyes, everything you do is wrong, and she deserves more.
To deal with her: Believe it or not, she can be helpful because she only sees problems, never solutions. So if you redirect her energy to solutions quickly, she can be appeased. Say, “I hear your dilemma. Now let’s try to solve it.”
The nag. He calls constantly to “just check in” or “inquire about the status” because he just won’t believe he’ll get what he wants.
To deal with him: Ease his worries with as much follow up and written confirmation as possible. Send e-mail or links to online status reports. Make proactive calls for some time, and eventually he should learn to trust you’ll do as you say you will.
