Coping with People Who Create Stress in Others

Abstract

Coping with difficult people is the commonest source of stress for many. The term people poisoning is sometimes applied to stress caused by such people. We may even call them stress generators or stress carriers, as they are often the people who give others stress without suffering from it themselves. Have you come across any of the following?

• An indecisive, vacillating boss

• An irritating, “bite-your-head-off ” supervisor

• A junior who agrees with everything but does nothing

• An unhelpful, “I-don’t-want-to-know-about-it” colleague

• Hostile customers

• A moaning and groaning secretary

• An intransigent manager