"Who's the Difficult One?"

You’re in a Zoom meeting, and one coworker keeps interrupting. What do you do?

• Hit the mute all button like a boss

• Say, “Great point, Steve! Let’s hear from others too.”

• Pretend to have Wi-Fi issues and freeze

• Start talking even louder to overpower them

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Your coworker sends a passive-aggressive email ending with ‘Per my last email…’ How do you respond?

• Reply, “Thanks for the reminder, Karen!” (but inside, you're screaming)

• Forward it to your boss and type, “Thoughts?”

• Reply with a GIF of a unicorn throwing glitter

• Politely clarify your response and restate your points professionally

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

The office “know-it-all” corrects you in a meeting. You…

• Challenge them to a duel at the water cooler.

• Nod and say, “Interesting perspective!” (while texting your work BFF).

• Thank them, but back up your point with facts.

• Dramatically sigh and whisper, “Here we go again…”

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CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Your supervisor emails you at 11 PM. What’s your move?

• Respond immediately with “I never sleep!”

• Wait until morning because boundaries matter

• Send back an auto-reply: “Error 404: Employee not found.”

• Text your coworker, “Why are we like this?”

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Which of these is the best way to handle a difficult coworker?

• Ignore them and hope they disappear like a bad Wi-Fi signal.

• Call HR and say, “We need to talk…”

• Use the Reframe Formula and focus on impact over intent.

• Challenge them to an email battle—longest reply wins.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Bonus Question: Why is it important to learn how to engage with difficult people at work?

• So you can avoid them entirely and work in peace 😌

• To build stronger communication skills and resolve conflicts professionally 🗣️

• To learn how to "win" every argument, even if you're wrong 🏆

• Because it's more fun to complain about them with coworkers instead of addressing the issue 🤐

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3