Dealing With Difficult People In Other Orgs

In this lesson, we discuss how to protect your team when a difficult or disruptive person sits outside your direct organization. Without the authority to manage that person directly, leaders need to understand why the individual remains valuable to their organization, work with their leadership to find alternatives, and communicate firm boundaries without turning the situation into an unnecessary confrontation.

• Understand why the difficult person is valued: Before trying to change the situation, identify what value they provide to their organization and why their leadership continues to support them despite the problems they may create elsewhere.
• Offer solutions before escalating conflict: Work with the other organization’s leadership to find a better interface, redistribute responsibilities, or otherwise preserve the value they need while reducing the negative impact on your team.
• Be collaborative while making your boundaries clear: Explain the consequences of allowing the problem to continue without resorting to threats. Strong leaders can communicate that they are prepared to protect their team while still giving the other side an opportunity to find a mutually beneficial solution.

Original podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WaeGfLnRvc&t=24s