Dealing with Difficult People and Handling New Ideas

Dealing with difficult people in a team means having a strategy about how the concept of ‘new ideas’ is handled in the group. What is actually meant by the new ideas concept? Well this revolves around how people respond when other people bring up creative, different and new ideas. How people respond can either mean that a new idea has a chance to grow, develops further or dies.

HOW DIFFICULT PEOPLE USUALLY RESPOND TO ALL NEW IDEAS

You will probably have noticed that obstinate, stubborn and difficult people most often respond in a negative way when new ideas are presented and ‘put down’ anyone suggesting a new or different idea.

These ‘put downs’ can include either verbal comments or non-verbal reactions such as shaking their head, rolling their eyes or folding their arms and looking disgusted or disinterested.

However, when these responses are conveyed they always stop people discussing new ideas or bringing up further ideas.

This most often succeeds in stifling all creativity and imaginative solutions. It means that teams are less able to come up with effective ways of handling new problems that they may be experiencing.

WHAT HAVE EACH AND EVERY NEW IDEA ALL GOT IN COMMON?

But did you know that every new idea is actually BORN DROWNING. What this means is that the idea is not yet fully developed or even fully thought through yet. All new ideas require the chance to swim, float and develop a lot further. To allow this to happen you really need positive and encouraging people to support every person who suggests a new idea. You do not need very negative and difficult people that leap on and crush new ideas and the people that bring up these ideas.

POWERFUL NEGATIVITY AND NEW IDEAS

So have you ever seen these people in a group or team who respond negatively whenever someone brings up a new idea or possible solution? This negativity is guaranteed to ensure that an idea drowns and is lost forever. Now not every new idea is a great idea. But when an idea does not get the opportunity to be explored, expanded on and discussed, then how will people ever know if an idea is worth pursuing.

HOW TO GIVE NEW IDEAS A CHANCE TO PROGRESS

So here is a technique that will give people an opportunity for new ideas to develop in a team and reduce the negativity of difficult people. Introduce a NEW IDEAS POLICY. What this means is that when a person comes up with a new idea then everyone else in the team must make a positive comment about the idea. This is before any further discussion can occur. People are not allowed to jump first to negative comments, they must always start by sincerely saying something positive, encouraging and supportive about the new idea.

CHANGING THE ATMOSPHERE FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE

This technique will change the atmosphere in the group from being negative to positive. It helps people to begin to see the possibilities in a newly formed idea. This allows the chance for the idea to at least start to swim and perhaps develop further. Try it! It will cut down the power of those who are squashing new ideas and are being extremely difficult people.

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