How to cope with difficult people. Identify and manage five behavioral patterns

Almost every health-care organization (like all types of organizations) has one or two "difficult people." The behavior patterns of these individuals and personalities make daily work and interactions emotionally draining and unnecessarily complicated. Managers may consider terminating the recalcitrant employees as the quickest solution. The current shortage of medical technologists, however, gives laboratory managers a strong incentive to retain their staff members--even the difficult ones. This article addresses five types of difficult people as described in an emerging literature and makes recommendations for achieving and maintaining personal and professional stability in the midst of such situations.