Preparing Preparing ManagersManagers

to Deal with to Deal with Difficult PeopleDifficult People

Some Practical StrategiesSome Practical Strategies1,2,31,2,3

A Presentation for the 2005 OHA Annual A Presentation for the 2005 OHA Annual MeetingMeeting

Kendall L. Stewart, MD, MBAKendall L. Stewart, MD, MBABetsey Clagg, RN, BSNBetsey Clagg, RN, BSN

June 20, 2005June 20, 20051Thank you for attending this session.2We intend to make practical points that you can put to use in your professional lives.3Please let us know whether we succeeded on your evaluation form.

Why is this topic Why is this topic important?important?• Difficult people are

everywhere.1

• Dealing with them is a challenge for everyone, but these folk are particular challenges for organizational leaders.

• SOMC leaders believe this is the most significant challenge they face in their professional lives.

• Most of us don’t deal with difficult people very well.

• We could do better, and we could prepare our managers to do better.

• This presentation will suggest a number of practical strategies that will help you prepare your managers to deal more effectively with these “Phantoms of the Workplace”

• After mastering the information in this presentation, you will be able to– Describe how difficult

people sometimes behave,

– Explain how that behavior “makes” your managers feel,

– Specify how those feelings compel your managers to react,

– List three practical educational strategies that will assist you in preparing your managers to deal more effectively with difficult people.

1I get the biggest kick out of dealing with snobs, particularly big-city snobs. Being from Portsmouth, I get such opportunities all the time. An executive from Columbus liked my tie. A psychiatrist fromCleveland was appalled that someone from Portsmouth would be appointed Chair of the OPA Ethics Group.

What are some successful What are some successful strategiesstrategies for for preparing managers for dealing with difficult people?preparing managers for dealing with difficult people?

• Acknowledge the extent of the problem.

• Ask managers how difficult people behave.

• Ask managers how difficult people “make” them feel.

• Ask them how unpleasant feelings incline them to react.

• Encourage more realistic expectations.

• Detail practical strategies for dealing more effectively with difficult people.1

• Design and deploy effective educational activities.

• Engage managers in the learning process.

• Arrange for opportunities to practice effective confrontation.

• Focus on changing the manager’s behavior.

• Promote team learning across departmental lines.

• Document educational effectiveness.

1I was trying to teach one of my male patients to be more romantic. I know what women want.I explained Hallmark™ cards to this man. You know what he did?

What What percentagepercentage of the problems of the problems SOMC leaders face are “people” SOMC leaders face are “people” problems?problems?

20%

80%

People Problems Other Problems

SOMC Leaders Focus Group, September 9, 2004

How do the difficult people at SOMC How do the difficult people at SOMC

behave?behave?• They are negative. • They avoid conflict. • They are manipulative. • They are pot-stirrers. They are

selfish. • They won’t take responsibility

for their behavior. • They are arrogant. • They are disrespectful. • They fall back into old

behaviors. • They are passive-aggressive.• They are demanding and

impatient. • They deny their behavior. • They disregard policy. • They are unmotivated and lazy.

Rank ordered by SOMC Leaders Focus Group, September 9, 2004

How do difficult people at SOMC How do difficult people at SOMC

“make” managers “make” managers feel?feel?

• Anxious• Confused• Defeated• Defensive• Desperate• Determined• Detached• Disengaged• Disappointe

d• Embroiled• Frustrated• Helpless• Impatient• Inadequate• Ineffective• Intimidated

• Mad or angry• Nervous• Overwhelmed• Powerless• Resentful• Scared• Sick• Stressed• Tired• Apathetic• Uncomfortable• Unmotivated• Withdrawn

SOMC Leaders Focus Group, September 9, 2004

How may these feelings compel How may these feelings compel

managers to managers to react?react?• Behave aggressively• Become arrogant• Counterattack• Seek out others who

will commiserate• Condescend• Become defensive• Become guarded• Grovel• Minimize the problem• Become moody• Become obsessive

• Placate the troublemakers

• Protect the victims• Ruminate• Regress to defensive

inflexibility• Behave rudely• Scheme• Seek affirmation of

their perceptions• Indulge in tantrums• Ventilate destructively• Withdraw

SOMC Leaders Focus Group, September 9, 2004

What are some successful What are some successful

strategiesstrategies for dealing with difficult for dealing with difficult people?people?• Label them.1

• Neutralize them.• Describe them.• Predict them.2

• Inform them.• Involve them.• Ignore them.• Convert them.• Avoid them.• Expose them.

• Circumvent them.• Use them.• Persuade them.• Confront them.• Rehabilitate them.• Discourage them.• Ridicule them.• Isolate them.• Punish them.• Extrude them.

1It is critical to tell people “how.” I suggested that leaders use the mental image of a yellow sticky note.2We waste a lot of time hoping difficult people will change. People don’t change much. I recently took mywife to Hawaii to celebrate our 30th anniversary. We got out “The List.”

What approach did we use in What approach did we use in

designing the designing the educationaleducational activity?activity?• Leadership Development Team• Strategic Value Leadership Conference

– Learn and share tools and techniques– Promote team learning across department

lines

• Problem-oriented learning• Focus on changing behavior –

(indicators)• Effective presenters • High energy level

What strategies did we use to What strategies did we use to

engage managers?engage managers?

• Purposeful – useful strategies• Brevity• Humor• Storytelling• Informal setting• Provide food• Make it Fun

– Theme - “SOMC Productions”

What did we consider in designing What did we consider in designing

our our role playrole play exercise?exercise?

• Not a favorite method of learning• Non-threatening, “safe”

environment• Reinforce classroom theory• Realistic scenarios• Clear expectations of outcomes• Heterogeneous vs homogeneous

groups• Planned “debriefing” (processing)

How did we engage the How did we engage the

participants in the participants in the activity?activity?• Theme - Getting into “character”• Triads: manager, employee,

observer roles• “Scripts” for manager, employee• Observer role• Fully engage in activity – realistic• “Back stage” areas• Large group discussion

What was our approach to What was our approach to

processing the role playprocessing the role play experience?experience?• Completed a reaction form

– What happened?– How did you feel?– Based on your feelings, what did you do?– What was the reaction?– What might have been done differently?

• “Interviewed” individuals• Captured “best practices”• Applauded their acting debut

How did we document the How did we document the

effectivenesseffectiveness of the of the education?education?• Completed an evaluation immediately

following the course • Asked for a commitment to deal with a

difficult person within 60 days• Reported on their experience and completed

a follow-up evaluation in 60 days• Measured the percentage of those who

applied the learning within 60 days• We asked managers to estimate the

percentage impact this educational experience had on their actual leadership performance.

What What resultsresults did we see? did we see?

• Attendees’ mean assessment score was 4.73 compared to previous mean evaluation scores of 4.5, 4.61, 4.54, and 4.56 following similar SOMC leadership workshops.1

• Written comments were overwhelmingly positive.1

• 71-percent of attendees applied their learning within 60 days.2

• Managers estimated their leadership performance had changed by 32.5% due to this education.3

1Workship evaluation2The return rate for the 60-day follow up survey was 30-percent.3American Society of Training and Development assessment tool

Where can you learn Where can you learn more?more?• Stewart, Kendall L., et. al. A Portable

Mentor for Organizational Leaders, SOMCPress, 2003 S

• Stewart, Kendall L., “Physician Traps: Some Practical Ways to Avoid Becoming a Miserable Doctor” A SOMCPress White Paper, SOMCPress, July 24, 2002

• Stewart, Kendall L. et. al, “On Being Successful at SOMC: Some Practical Guidelines for New Physicians” A SOMCPress White Paper, SOMCPress, January 2001

• Stewart, Kendall L., “Bigwigs Behaving Badly: Understanding and Coping with Notable Misbehavior” A SOMCPress White Paper, SOMCPress, March 11, 2002

• Stewart, Kendall L., “Relationships: Building and Sustaining the Interpersonal Foundations of Organizational Success” A SOMCPress White Paper, SOMCPress, March 11, 2002 Please visit www.KendallLStewartMD.com to download related White Papers and presentations.

How can we How can we contactcontact you? you?

Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.Kendall L. Stewart, M.D.Chief Medical OfficerChief Medical Officer

Southern Ohio Medical CenterSouthern Ohio Medical CenterPresident & CEOPresident & CEO

The SOMC Medical Care Foundation, The SOMC Medical Care Foundation, Inc.Inc.

1805 27th Street1805 27th StreetPortsmouth, Ohio 45662Portsmouth, Ohio 45662

740.356.8153740.356.8153

stewartk@somc.org Webmaster@KendallLStewartMD.com

www.somc.orgwww.KendallLStewartMD.com

How can we How can we contactcontact you? you?

Betsey Clagg, R.N., Betsey Clagg, R.N., B.S.N.B.S.N.

Director, Staff DevelopmentDirector, Staff DevelopmentSouthern Ohio Medical CenterSouthern Ohio Medical Center

1805 27th Street1805 27th StreetPortsmouth, Ohio 45662Portsmouth, Ohio 45662

740.356.2412740.356.2412

claggb@somc.orgclaggb@somc.org

Southern Ohio Medical CenterSouthern Ohio Medical Center SafetySafety QualityQuality ServiceService RelationshipsRelationships Performance Performance

What What questions questions remain?remain?

www.somc.orgwww.somc.org