How to handle difficult coworkers

5. MANAGE YOUR ATTITUDE. While you can't control other people, you can shift the dynamic by changing how you respond to them. Because you can't really hide your feelings, if you

approach someone in a mood of anger, annoyance or contempt, he'll have some sense of it. And his answer to your negative attitude might be an even stronger display of fury or rudeness.

You can break the negative cycle by adjusting your own emotional state. If you learn to shift the way you feel, you can dramatically change relationships that traditionally have been rocky.

Try this approach for adjusting your reaction to a difficult colleague. Start by quietly recalling the emotions you experienced the last time you two clashed. Did you feel hurt, tense or

frustrated? Where in your body did you experience the feelings and tension? In your shoulders? Your stomach? Now take a few deep breaths. And as you breathe, relax your shoulders, clenched

fists or other body parts that are tight. Visualize each breath as a flow of calm energy, helping to release that tension. Now that you're more relaxed, try to imagine an alternative

emotional state that might feel better and make it easier for you to deal with the colleague. For example, might it help if you could look at that guy with some sense of compassion? You

won't be able to change many of the frustrating situations in your career. But it's easier to move forward once you've learned how to put your frustration aside. _This excerpt

was adapted from _Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO,_ by Beverly Jones._ © 2016 Beverly E. Jones._ Think Like an Entrepreneur, Act Like a CEO_ published by Career Press. All rights

reserved. _Beverly E. Jones is president of Clearways Consulting, an executive coaching business based in Washington, D.C._