Ways to Deal With Difficult People: 

1. Stay calm- Getting upset will not help the situation; it tends to make it worse. Remember, the only person you can control is you. 

2. Be assertive.  Stand your ground. Many difficult people like to be in control. They need to control not only the situation, but the people in it too! Don't play by their rules, play by yours. 

3. Listen to the other's concerns. When people feel like no one is listening, they become frustrated and more difficult. Listen to them. Try to find out what is going on from their side of the story. 

4. Clarify what you heard.  Many difficult situations are born out of misunderstandings. Ask if you can repeat back what you heard. 

5. Be active. Ask for what you want, and negotiate on what you both can get, as in "What can we both agree to?" 

6. Remain objective This can be difficult! If you can keep it from getting personal, and keep from getting emotional, you will be in better control of both yourself and the situation. 

7.Don't Dwell On It! At some point, the discussion will be over. Resist the temptation to keep on, after it has run it's natural course. 

8. Be Willing To Call "Time Out" There are times when the conversation just needs to be stopped- where people just need time to calm down. You be the one willing to set this limit. If the other person is escalating in anger and agitation, they will not.