By Alan Fairweather

“I believe that managing people and particularly difficult ones is the hardest job in the world. No one shows you what to do, there are very few training programmes, and most people believe it is just something that you can or can’t do.”

It is true to say that Alan Fairweather knows as good as any the challenges a manager faces on a daily basis and, sharing advice from 15 years of experience, his guidebook focuses on a key issue: how to manage difficult people.

Perhaps one of the most commonly occurring issues in a workplace is coming up against challenging behaviour, be it from a client, a member of staff or someone else. How to manage difficult people, by Alan Fairweather, is a helpful tool for not only managers, but staff too, who have to deal with a variety of challenging behaviours.

People management is a difficult area to understand, particularly because, as Fairweather puts it himself: “Humans are the most complex and complicated pieces of equipment you’ll ever have to deal with.” But by gaining such skills, a person can better work to the best of their ability.

Proven strategies for dealing with challenging behaviour at work are divided into seven topic headings, including ‘Build a Better Frame of Mind’, ‘Prevention is Better than Cure’ and ‘Choose to be Assertive’, each with their own subheadings. The guide takes the reader through various techniques to help overcome these types of situations with increased confidence and improved results.

Within the pages there are scenarios, bulleted lists, examples of conversations, exercises and step-by-step guides.

“There is no magic formula here, only some proven techniques for managing yourself and managing difficult people,” says Fairweather, who now runs seminars and workshops to develop skills on how to handle problem people and situations. He says he hopes the book will make life a little bit easier for others.

Readers are shown how to defuse and deal with difficult customers, manage problems with colleagues, handle difficult day-to-day interactions, identify and manage behaviours which can turn a person into a problem, improve listening and communication skills, use a behaviour tool to build better relationships, increase self-confidence and use proven strategies for success.

The guide gives techniques to adjust your own behaviour and way of thinking in order to manage other people. For example, Fairweather suggests that difficult behaviour can be improved or worsened by another person’s influence. Clients and staff members, as well as others, such as industry colleagues, inspectors and servicemen, are all influenced in the workplace on a daily basis.

When faced with challenging behaviour – whether it is dealing with complaints, resolving issues with staff, or asking for a task to be done – Fairweather suggests methods and positive ways to help influence a better outcome.

Fairweather not only touches upon communication, such as rephrasing sentences, using alternative words, using a different tone and using positive body language, but also how to improve the way you think, and to uncover underlying reasons why a person might act in a challenging way. It is hoped that by using these methods, rather than mirroring the behaviour, negative situations can be resolved.

Throughout the book, the author uses situations from his own life, giving personal stories that explain where he has gained his knowledge and people skills. He makes it clear that he has often learnt the hard way and says: “I wish I’d known then what I know now,” when referring to the beginning of his managerial career.

Ultimately, all managers are under pressure to make things happen, preferably with the best results for their business. By taking the simple advice provided in this guide, a workplace can revel in more positive situations, making it a place that clients return to and staff enjoy working in. Although the book is unlikely to magic away challenging behaviour, it will certainly no longer feel like such a challenge.

Author: Alan Fairweather