This article follows the Direct Message methodology, designed to cut through the noise and reveal the deeper truths behind the stories we live. When I began studying how workplace culture impacts ...

Both in the office and in our personal lives, it is safe to assume that we will encounter difficult people. The key is to brace ourselves with easy-to-apply strategies so that we remain as calm and ...

Some people go to extraordinary lengths to be difficult. Think of the diva actress whose on-set needs can never be met or the boss who keeps moving the goal posts. The difficult person elevates the ...

Jessica A. Stern does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...

You know that phrase, "Why can't we all just get along?" Im willing to bet that whoever first uttered that doesnt have an uncle who always seems to walk into family functions ready for a fight or has ...

Even if you have a five-star customer service practice, you'll still have patients who are deemed difficult. The difficult patient often upsets the staff, sends negative reverberations throughout the ...

Working for (or with) someone who scrutinizes everything you do and demands that you run it past them for approval can push anyone to the brink. But don't despair. I'm the author of "Managing Up: How ...