The behaviour is the problem, not the person. It’s not who they are that’s the difficulty; it’s what they’re doing ­ that’s what you want changed. Fortunately, it’s easier to adjust how people behave than to re-engineer their personalities.

They’re not doing it on purpose. Despite evidence to the contrary, people aren’t being difficult to wind you up, they genuinely have a different agenda ­ possibly an insane one, but a real one nonetheless.

When you come into the firing line of a difficult person, it helps to stay calm. Resist the impulse to be defensive or try to win the argument. If you go head-to-head you won’t win. Instead, listen and ask questions.

Take the heat out of the situation.
Ask the person being difficult what they’re angry about and what they want to happen. Try to establish genuine communication.

Agree with them…
Is there a germ of truth in what they’re saying? If they’re calling you an imbecile, you might agree you did do something that was foolish.

…but only on your terms
However, don’t let them generalise. Say, ‘Okay, I did do something a bit thoughtless this once, but that doesn’t make me an imbecile.’ Admit specific errors but don’t accept labelling.

Finally, remember you have four options when dealing with difficult people:

Lynn Williams is a career coach who writes on job search and career issues. She is the author of several career books