Human interaction is an essential part of work life. But let’s face it: Not all colleagues make it easy.
Nemesis
Fairly commonly, people have one or more individuals in their professional orbit who are particularly difficult. Sometimes they may even be a nemesis.
Emotion management
This is where “emotional intelligence” comes in, which is, this Inc. article explains “the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions.”
When provoked, emotional intelligence proves particularly important. It starts with being prepared, or what one psychologist tells Inc. he calls the “green light method.”
Pre-developed plan
The green light method is a pre-developed plan for how one might respond to provocation. It might involve ignoring the person, or removing yourself from a provocative situation or other approaches.
Train
But the key is in the pre-planning, which means developing the best response to anticipated provocation. “When the moment comes, you simply do what you trained for,” he says.
