Try these tips for dealing with difficult people around you

Problems in life come in all forms. Unfortunately, when it happens in your district, it can cause bigger headaches and make other problems in your life seem like a walk in the park. Here are some helpful tips for calming the situation and dealing with upset district residents and board members.

Any good customer service professional will tell you when people are upset, most of the time they just want someone to listen to their complaints without judgement. When you’re upset about something, the act of talking to someone, whether it be a friend or someone else, it helps people feel better and diffuses the anger slightly. It certainly doesn’t make the problem go away, but it helps people to calm down so the real issue can be dealt with.

Not all district drama will be legitimate and you will have people come to you with problems that are not only silly, but also possibly detrimental to the rest of the district. By listening to people explain the problem, you will learn quickly how to separate what is legit and the stuff that’s just weird.

One thing that will absolutely exacerbate the situation is making promises you can’t or won’t be able to keep. You won’t be able to fix every problem that crosses your desk, whether it’s legitimate or not. Instead of using words and phrases like promise, absolutely or no matter what are a few things that can give people false hope. You’re not the bad guy if you can’t fix every problem, but you can turn into the villain when you over promise and under deliver.

These same customer service tactics can be used when dealing with members of your district’s board. By listening to people and considering their words, you have the ability to develop a rapport with that person that can lead to mutual respect. Developing the characteristics of compassion, kindness and the ability to listen will make your job easier and the people around you happier.