It's no fun to deal with difficult people. You know the type--the ones that are so negative, picky and grumpy that it puts you in a bad mood. But instead of becoming a difficult person yourself, try to deal with them. Here are some pointers on how to do that.

Let It Roll Off Your Back- If the problems don't affect you too strongly, you may choose to get better at ignoring them. This may seem difficult at first, but there's something to be said for choosing your battles. If you are dealing with someone who tells your secrets around the office, stop sharing them. If you're dealing with someone who has offensive body odor, stay at a comfortable distance. Not everything can be ignored, but by focusing on other things, some problems can bother you much less than you would think.

Approach the person with whom you are having the problem for a private discussion. Talk to the coworker about what you are experiencing in “I” messages. (Using “I” messages is a communication approach that focuses on your experience of the situation rather than on attacking or accusing the other person.) You can also explain to your coworker the impact of their actions on you.

Be pleasant and agreeable as you talk with the other person. They may not be aware of the impact of their words or actions on you. They may be learning about their impact on you for the first time. Or, they may have to consider and confront a pattern in their own interaction with people. Worst case? They may know their