Is it Me? Or is Someone Else Being Difficult?

by Kori Rodley Irons | More from this Blogger

10 Mar 2008 10:08 PM

We talk a great deal here in the Home Business Blog about how to cope with challenging customers, negative attitudes, and special requests, but sometimes it really is not the OTHER person who is being difficult-sometimes, the communication breakdown or attitude adjustment is our own entire problem...

I have a couple very close friends who I know I can count on to call me on my "stuff" when I act crabby or inappropriate. My kids can sometimes be gifts in this department too. I do not know all the ins and outs of human nature, and I certainly do not know why it is that sometimes we just cannot see our own issues or how they affect our business and work, but it is true-sometimes WE are the problem!

If you are looking to improve your customer service and improve the relationships you have with your clients and customers, the first place to look may well be yourself. Are you projecting your own character traits onto others? Are you feeling defensive or do you have specific triggers? I know that I can get triggered when people ask for special considerations or miss deadlines and I have to acknowledge that this MY issue-it does not make another person particularly horrible. By knowing what might make me crabby, I can adjust my expectations and take ownership of those personal issues that can influence my business communication and relationships. I can take stock of my own stuff instead of blaming.

So, if you are having a particularly bad day or find yourself locked in a disagreement with a customer, client, vendor, etc.-it might be helpful to take a look at yourself first, before you automatically assume that the OTHER person is the one who has a problem. The problem may just be you...

Also: Do You Need to Hear Compliments?

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