If you are a professional who works within an Office Support capacity, you have a pretty important job! While you may often find yourself working “behind the scenes,” your role ensures all firm operations run efficiently and all tasks are completed in a timely and professional manner.  In that sense, you can truly consider yourself the backbone of an organization because you are responsible for acting as the firm’s supporting structure.

Naturally, as you are supporting people and/or working with clients and other guests, you may encounter a few personalities that may not be so pleasant.  “Unfortunately, this is an age old problem for Office Support professionals that will never go away,” explains Erin McCarthy, a Director of The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support and Human Resources staffing divisions.  “Encountering grumpy, rude, and eccentric people from time to time is simply part of the job, and though it may be frustrating, there are steps you can take to ensure that someone else’s attitude doesn’t have a negative effect on your own and prevent you from doing your job well.”

For those who have ever found themselves in a situation where someone else’s attitude or work style didn’t necessarily mesh with their own and they wished they could have handled a situation differently, here are some tips from Erin on supporting challenging people in the workplace:

Don’t React: Remember, you’re there to ensure everything is organized and operating efficiently, which means you need to have a clear and level head.  As a result, if someone makes a negative comment to you, try to take a deep breath, smile, and respond politely.  If you’re angry and upset about the situation, it may be reflected in the quality of your work, so take a step back and think about what needs have to be addressed.  This will help you refocus your attention away from the heat of the situation and towards the tasks that need to be accomplished.

Communicate Directly: If your job description involves supporting others or being the first point of contact for a client or visitor, chances are, you have strong communication skills.  These communication skills can be used to manage a difficult situation where the person you are working with, whether that is your supervisor or a visitor, is being unclear or unfairly demanding of you.  If you are not clear on what the person is asking of you or want clarification on why they sound disgruntled, it is best to attack the problem (note: not the person) head on with clear statements and direct questions.  For example, if the person you support is stressed about a major project with an impending deadline, and they give you last minute orders that must be added to your list of other time-sensitive things to do, and you are unsure about what to proceed with, it may be helpful to say, “I know the deadline to complete these tasks is quickly approaching and you need them completed in a timely manner.  To ensure this process is handled efficiently, can you please tell me which tasks take priority and which tasks can be completed closer to the deadline?”  Asking problem-solving questions in a calm and collected manner will help you gain a firmer grasp of the situation and keep your responsibilities top-of-mind.

Focus and Listen: “Remember, your job is to act as an extension of the person you are supporting,” advises Erin.  “As a result, if they are stressed or feel disorganized, it is your responsibility to help them stay organized and keep them prepared.  To do this, you must put everything into perspective, feelings aside, and really listen to what they are saying to understand what they need from you.”  In other words, it isn’t enough to just hear what they are saying and nod your head – you need to be intuitive to their needs.  This can obviously be challenging if you feel you aren’t being respected or are unclear about something, so this is why it is absolutely essential to take a step back and try to listen and focus on what is needed of you.

Don’t Take It Personally:  Everyone has a personal life outside of their work responsibilities, and some people choose to talk about it more than others.  Often times, the people you encounter who give you a hard time may have something personal going on, or may just be worried about something else that has nothing to do with you.  Unfortunately, you can only be responsible for how you act, so try to stay positive and focused on what you need to do to keep the organization running efficiently.

Maintaining an organization’s operations can be a difficult job, especially when you are responsible for working with a wide range of personalities.  Though at times it can become frustrating and stressful to juggle your responsibilities while interacting with a difficult personality, you have to think about your main responsibility – to ensure your boss and/or the firm has everything it needs to perform well.  Keeping this list top-of-mind will help you accomplish this.