Today I had a long conversation with a girl about how mean people can be, in life and in business. She phoned me for advice because she was lost for words and had no action plan for her meeting with a client later today where they would discuss the situation. The story is mainly a bunch of “he said, she said” stories and blaming each other. I sat down to consider the whole situation after our call and realised the advice I gave her could be helpful to so many other people too and so I decided to share how I deal with mean people in business and life.
Be Good
In business, just as in life if you’re good at what you do and you’re honest and treat people well, good things will come to you. Sometimes people can do horrible things that make us want to crawl into a little ball and cry. But, lady, you’re stronger than that.
Listen
People also want to know that they are being heard. So when someone has a problem, listen to them. Many times, problems arise from miscommunication and by listening to a problem often issues can easily be resolved.
Problem people vs people with a problem
I always feel in life and in business that there are two kinds of people; problem people, and people with a problem. So, whenever I’m in a situation that leaves me with sleepless nights and wondering what to next I consider the client. Is this a person with a problem? Or is this a problem person?
The best way to figure out which type of person you are dealing with is to imagine yourself in their situation without the background knowledge you know. So only knowing their side of the story. Would you react similarly? Do you think that there is a real problem or do you think that the person is being unreasonable?
If the person is being unreasonable then they fall under the “problem person” category. But if you can see how the person may be so upset then it’s a “person with a problem”. If you’re dealing with a person with a problem, then there’s good news. Problems can be fixed. But, if you’re dealing with a problem person, then sometimes it’s better to part ways.
Sort it out
Now that you have listened and figured out what kind of a person you a dealing with you can sort out the problem. When it comes to sorting out mean people in business I feel that honesty is the best policy. Be open about the situation. If you messed up. Admit it. For goodness sake, you’re only human. But then make sure you never make that mistake again. So, learn from your mistake and tell this person you’re talking to that you will learn from your mistake.
Never make excuses or play a blaming game. Never add to “he said, she said” stories.
Be yourself
Be true to yourself! Remember, If you can live with yourself and your own doings, if you can sleep well at night knowing that you handled a situation as best possible. Then you have done well. Then that is enough.
Most important thing to remember when dealing with mean people in business and in life
Never compromise yourself, your business, and your own beliefs when dealing with clients. Clients come and go but you are there to stay. So look after yourself and your business in the best possible way you can.
And then, I have a few more articles that may help along the way. This one is about people. This one is about being graceful with loss. And this one, is about criticism.
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