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  2. 3 types of difficult people — and how to work better with them

3 types of difficult people — and how to work better with them

Oct 30, 2025

Executive coach and author Nick Robinson illuminates the challenging traits of work colleagues and shares strategies from his book — The 9 Types of Difficult People: How to Spot Them and Quickly Improve Working Relationships — that professionals can employ to improve relationships on the job. 

Robinson, a speaker at UK & Ireland ENGAGE, explores the interplay between organizational pressures, psychological stressors, power dynamics, and how those factors can influence the development of traits and behaviors that make people difficult to work with.

He also shares strategies managers and professionals can explore to help get to the crux of performance issues, improve communication skills, and gain a deeper understanding of peers.

“When you ask a difficult person why they're doing what they do, they don't think they're difficult,” Robinson said. “They're trying to do something that they think is right.”

The conversation was first published as an episode of the FM podcast.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

  • Four pressures that can negatively affect our ability to work with others.
  • Three common types of difficult people in the workplace.
  • Advice for managers and employees to navigate challenging relationships and dynamics.
  • Steps for surviving a difficult boss.
  • Tips for “unlearning” bad habits that make you appear more difficult to work with.