303: How to Work With Difficult People with Amy Gallo

The Modern Manager

How does it feel to work with somebody you'd rather avoid? Let's admit it: We all experience a fair share of difficult people at work. And many times, we just have to be around them whether we like it or not. However, there are a few things, that we can do to lessen their impact on us.

Today's workplace expert unpacks everything we need to know about working with difficult people.

Amy Gallo is the author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, as well as hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review. She is also the co-host of HBR’s popular Women at Work podcast, which examines the struggles and successes of women in the workplace.

In this episode, Amy shares the eight types of difficult people we usually encounter at work and how to deal with them effectively. We also talk about the challenges of written communication, checking our own behavior, and so much more.

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Conversation Topics

• (00:00) Intro
• (02:27) 8 kinds of difficult co-workers most people work with
• (05:45) Personality clash vs. productive conflict
• (07:32) How to deal with problematic behavior at work
• (14:36) The manager’s role in solving work conflict
• (16:23) Is confronting a colleague with their bad behaviors a good strategy?
• (20:10) How to appropriately respond to difficult written communications
• (29:16) A great manager Amy has worked for
• (31:03) Keep up with Amy
• (32:32) [Extended Episode Only] The role of biases in judging someone’s behavior
• (36:11) [Extended Episode Only] How managers should intervene when team members have issues working together

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here

- Visit my website for more here

Keep up with Amy Gallo

- Follow Amy on LinkedIn here

- Listen to her podcast here

- Grab a copy of her book here

- Check out her other works here

Book Giveaway: 2 Signed Copies of “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)”

Amy is giving away 2 copies of her book, Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) to members of Podcast+. In this book, Amy identifies eight familiar types of difficult coworkers and provides strategies tailored to dealing constructively with each one. She also shares principles that will help you turn things around, no matter who you're at odds with. You must enter the drawing by Wednesday, May 1.

To get guest bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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