How to Manage Difficult People in IT

How to Manage Difficult People in ITHow to Manage Difficult People in ITDealing with difficult people is mora than a challenge its a skill. Here are five of the most difficult IT personality types, plus tips on how to adjust your management style to deal with them.Technology kollektivs are known for their personality diversity. If youve done your job as an IT hiring manager, youve staffed your teams with experts, and we all know what can happen when you get a bunch of experts in a room. While the skill sets and expertise are there, theres also the domineering personalities, the internalizing ones and everything in between.Dealing with difficult people on your technology teamYour biggest challenge when dealing with difficult people is to establish different management styles for each one. Here are five common personas youll find in an IT department and the management styles that work best to handle them1. Who The WallflowerThis employee is a classic introvert, preferring to work quie tly and with minimal intervention. You wont see this person pitching new technology improvements in a staff meeting or actively socializing in the break room. In fact, you may not always notice the person is there at all, diligently completing projects.How Be understanding and accommodating.Dont try to change The Wallflower because she doesnt have the loudest voice in the room. Instead, tap into her strengths. Rather than get frustrated that she never offers ideas in a formal setting, ask for suggestions in writing or in small groups. Dont rule out this personality type for leadership roles, either. Those who are more reserved tend to be great listeners, well organized and thoughtful in their actions, making them effective at directing teams and staying cool when tempers get hot.2. Who The Know-It-AllThe Know-It-All is a stereotypical and self-described tech genius whos often short, impatient and frustrated that no one else has the same level of IT expertise. The Know-It-All may b e one of the most challenging when dealing with difficult people, because this employee always believes he is correct.How Be firm.The Know-It-All may be a resident subject matter expert, but he may also be the one others dread working with the most. Since this person will dominate staff meetings if given free reign, you need to step in and make sure others get a chance to voice opinions or ideas. Also consider sending the Know-It-All to soft skills training and development to help refine interpersonal communication skills. If he really does know it all, think about whether he would make a good trainer. That way, the persons knowledge can be transferred to other employees.3. Who The Panic AttackWhen you think of this team member, you probably dont think cool under the collar. She is capable and deadline oriented, but just the thought of that website overhaul makes her nervous. And when she gets nervous, she bombards everyone on the team with emails and derails meetings with potential what-ifs. Now your whole team starts to feel anxious.How Be structured and realistic.This personality type thrives on structure and predictability. The more organized you are, the less likely the employee will freak out at the onset of a new initiative. Providing a list of key steps and citing all the resources available to support the efforts can alleviate fears. It can also be helpful to check in periodically on progress and provide feedback to reassure her that all is on track.4. Who The Laid Back ProThe opposite of The Panic Attack is The Laid Back Pro. Think of the coder on your team who always dons headphones and downs Mountain Dew (or something heavily caffeinated). While hes no doubt skilled and competent, he often leaves others worried whether the job will get done on time. Can someone who seems so relaxed really be committed to quality work?How Be direct but casual.The management style thats ideal in this case is a straightforward one. Assuming the individual is meeting e xpectations and providing quality work, resist the temptation to micromanage. Motivate through trust by giving clear instruction and then handing over authority. The Laid Back Pro flourishes when given the freedom to tackle projects creatively.5. Who The CompetitorYou finished updating software on all the desktop systems in four hours? This employee claims to have done the same in three hours. Maybe two-and-a-half as she recalls taking a coffee break. Seemingly unimportant issues are big ones to The Competitor. This person views everything as a contest and sometimes steps on toes just to win. Theyre sometimes less concerned with quality so long as they appear quantitatively superior in self-imposed competitions.How Be strategic.One way to tone down this unproductive behavior? Give her more work. The Competitor cant worry about games if theres a full plate of projects to tackle. Also consider ways you can use the competitive mindset as an asset to your team. For example, you might ch arge her with the task of negotiating pricing with tech vendors.Do these management styles sound familiar?Dealing with difficult people on your IT team is a fact of leadership. And being a strong leader means knowing how to adapt to different personality types as well as difficult ones. Share your preferred management styles or your tried-and-true tips for dealing with difficult people. Tags