My favorite way to deal with difficult people is not to get involved with them in the first place. If you know from their past behavior they aren’t easy to go along with, put some distance between you. If you don’t have any background on them, trust what your intuition says about them.

Unfortunately, you don’t always have a choice. They might be part of the package in what is otherwise your dream job. Don’t let difficult people ruin your career. Deal with them.

Don’t give them any ammo to load their gun with. Don’t bash and bad mouth others, or put yourself in compromising positions that could be held over your head later. Not everyone can be trusted or should be trusted with sensitive material, and you can’t always spot the untrustworthy ones.

Don’t be so gullible when it comes to taking what people say for granted. Most people tell white lies. Some tell deep, dirty, dark ones. A healthy dose of skepticism is a good thing.

Don’t burn your bridges until you get to them.

Being angry saps your mental energy and thus your creativity. Don’t let things fester. Let it go or let it out, but don’t let it eat you up.

Step outside. Don’t blow up in front of clients, peers or others who will label you a hothead. Have a cooling off period. Count to ten – or ten thousand. Deal with problem people in private whenever possible.

Don’t put all your efforts in one basket.  If you have only one client, and you have a falling out, where does that leave you?

You can’t please everyone. Stop caring so much what others think. If you were an idea person, some people will attack you and your ideas. These people give you a chance to defend your ideas – it is a great creative boost, even if you lose the argument. Thank them.

Attack the problem and not the person. Take the emotion away and deal with facts. Use logic and reason.

Let them save face. Give them an easy way out. Don’t rub anybody’s nose in everything.

Pick your fights carefully. Weigh the consequences before you step in and start whaling away.

Rechannel your anger into something positive. Harness it and use it.  Preferably on something physical, clear your room, go for a run.

The customer is not always right. You don’t have to put up with abusive clients. Stand up to them. Bullies will back down when you stand up for yourself.

Take a walk in their shoes to try to figure out why they are doing the things they are. Usually they are oblivious to their bad behavior. Figure out what they want. Seek to understand and be understood.

You can’t change people, so you have to set limits about how much crap you are willing to put up with. You can change the way you deal with them, and limit the amount of crap you dish out. That is not just a business lesson, it is a life lesson.