How to Handle Difficult Situations

What do you do?

Most people wait, worry or ignore their difficult situations. If you do this, your situations get worse and your suffering increases.

If you attack the situation, at least you are trying to fix the problem. But attacks, rage, or irrational anger usually fail. You might even destroy relationships, waste money or ruin your reputation.

Disconnecting from difficult situations can reduce your stress, but you may lose opportunities, money or friends.

So how can you handle difficult situations forever?

The Best Solution Is to Confront and Handle all Situations

“The ability to stand up to and confront and handle whatever comes the way of the organization depends utterly on the ability of the individuals of the organization to stand up to, confront and handle what comes the individual’s way.” — L. Ron Hubbard

When you face and resolve the problem yourself, you feel wonderful. You are in control of your life. You not only conquer the opposition, you conquer your fear.

Few accomplishments are more satisfying than confronting a difficult situation and handling it permanently.

One of the keys to facing and handling a situation is to get prepared.

“THE SUCCESS OF ANY EVENT IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE TIMELY PREPARATION.” — L. Ron Hubbard

Five Steps to Prepare for and Handle Difficult Situations

1. Decide.
   1. Make a decision that YOU WILL face the person or situation, directly, and by yourself.
   2. Imagine yourself conquering this challenge, once and for all.
   3. Ensure you are 100% behind this decision and confident you will do whatever it takes to make it go right.
2. Plan. Write down your answers to these questions.
   1. What is the specific situation or problem you need to handle?
   2. What is your goal for this situation? If everything goes well, what will be the end result?
   3. How will you reach this goal? This is your strategy.
   4. When will you start and finish your strategy?
   5. List the facts, reasons, and explanations that support your strategy.
   6. What challenges or barriers might you face while handling the situation? What are the worst things that might happen?
   7. How will you handle each of these?
   8. What steps can you take, in advance, to prepare for each of these?
3. Prepare.
   1. Schedule a time and place to start your handle. Arrange to do the handling where you will not be distracted or disturbed, preferably in a space you control.
   2. Complete all of your preparation steps so you are ready to go.
   3. Write down your plan. List the steps you will be taking.
   4. Make copies of all additional material you might need.
   5. Prepare everything else, such as sleep, food, clothing, transportation, etc.
4. Do it! Handle the situation.
   1. Face the situation or look at the person directly in the eye.
   2. Focus on your goal and strategy.
   3. Follow your plan. Go through the steps you need to take to handle the situation.
   4. Observe what happens with the situation. If handling a difficult person, listen carefully to the person and make certain they feel understood.
   5. Hold your position. Use your facts, reasons, and explanations to complete your steps.
   6. Handle all challenges and barriers if and when they show up to stop you.
   7. If you get stuck or fail, take notes so you can get better prepared for next time.
5. Persist.
   1. If you do not handle the situation at first, or if it repeats, persist!
   2. Review and repeat these steps to permanently handle the difficult situation or person, as needed. Each time you try makes you smarter and the situation easier to handle.
   3. Be tough and get the job done. Persist as long as necessary to reach your goal for that situation.

(Click to get the Five Steps to Prepare For and Handle Difficult Situations” PDF worksheet.)

When you confront and handle every situation and every difficult person around you, people respect you for your courage, honesty and control. Your associates, employees, or coworkers follow your example and become more successful, as well. Your enemies either become harmless or become friends.

Taking positive organized action, despite fear, is the kind of courage you and all successful people must master.

Read how Sheila handled her office bully.