OPM.34 Difficult Parties

I was clashing with a difficult personality on a project, especially after they misrepresented what we had requested in earlier meetings.

So I called someone who is great at dealing with difficult parties – subcontractors.

My friend gave a few great tips.

Prepare ahead of each meeting. Force the other party to prepare clear agendas and use them to plan ahead. Try to avoid being blindsided. Be ready to present a trail of actual facts.

A difficult individual often starts on the offensive and relies upon momentum to quell dissention. If things are moving fast, interrupt them. Better to be impolite early than to lose your temper later.

And finally, remember this great experience when the stakes are low. Best to develop these skills before jumping into big projects with high stakes.

It’s not easy dealing with difficult personalities. Hopefully I avoided becoming one on this project!

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This short film is great. And that’s before I found out that Ian Hubert created this contemplative cyberpunk world all by himself.

Often, under the influence of wine, Liu Ling would behave in a completely free and unrestrained manner, sometimes even stripping off his clothes and sitting stark naked in the middle of his room. Once, when others saw him in this state and chided him for it, Ling famously retorted, “Heaven and Earth are my pillars and roof, my house and its rooms are my trousers and jacket. Pray, what are you gentlemen doing in my trousers?”

From John Minford’s commentary on “8. Water” of the Tao Te Ching.

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Justus Pang, RA