General Assembly are known as leaders in education and providing the highly sought after skills needed to make carve out a career in the modern workforce. As individuals and companies can struggle to compete in an increasingly technological world, General Assembly have managed to bridge the gap between the learners and skills.

Go1 have teamed up with General Assembly to run some exciting events in both Melbourne and Sydney during September with Go1 CEO Andrew Barnes leading a discussion around The Future of Learning. Panelist appearing at the events include Will Dayble of Fitzroy Academy, Sarah Moran of Girl Geek Academy, Sascha Grey of Hired and many more!
If you would like to come along to the events, you can RSVP here:

In the lead up to the events we sat down with Garry Williams from Partnerships at General Assembly to learn more about the learning culture of the company, processes they have in place to utilize the talent within their team, and what they have learned about how people want to learn after running hundreds of events every year.

You can listen to the full interview here:

Blended learning is a key part of the education process for General Assembly.  Garry tells us that the learning culture is very hands on, but it allows members of their team to learn from their colleagues who have got backgrounds working with some of the biggest names in technology before arriving at GA. In order to keep up to date with current trends, GA lean heavily on their peep to peer programs to educate their team, in tandem with online offerings.

“There are many things to gain by complementing something like GA or Go1, with in-house experience” 

GA also runs a range of workshops every week which could cover everything from search engine optimization, to PR and gamification to ensure that their employees have the information that they need to succeed in their role.

A key aspect of how GA manages their learning is through their worldwide community, and communicating with their teams across the world to ensure that everyone is working together and sharing resources, or in some case, people as they travel between offices.

Having recently experienced the GA onboarding program, Gary says that there is a relatively intensive onboarding program in place for new team members, but the program utilizes skills of new hires that may have been over looked in the past. Moving from the corporate world into the startup scene, Garry notes that it was a challenging change of direction, however a lot of his skills crossed over and he was able to demonstrate that he was the right person for the role.

Running so many events give the GA a real insight into how attendees like to learn. When talking about how people love to learn at their events Garry, says that the top three reasons that people attend are to:

Feed off the knowledge being presented, and those in attendance through networking.

Explore their passions. They may not be in the career that they would like learn more about a subject and be involved with the community surrounding it so they can work towards making a switch into that profession.

Learn more about what is happening in the community. What are other companies doing, and what are they working on. This encourages people to push their own boundaries and develop new and exciting concepts.

When it comes to his own learning, Garry tells us that he enjoys keeping up to date with email newsletters from a select group of trusted writers who may only release new material every few weeks, even though he admits “it’s a bit of a nightmare for my inbox.”

“The common theme between all of the best material I receive is that they are all willing to share their content, but having something like Go1 is also very valuable for helping me quickly and easily learn new skills. “  

“There’s never been a more accessible time to learn. “

If you would like to be a part of the discussion around the future of learning, we’d love to see you at one of our events where you will have the chance to hear from some of the leaders in the learning industry, as well as ask questions and be a part of the conversation!

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Interview: why learning culture and community are a priority at General Assembly

Being able to support a good cause is something that everyone at Go1 loves to be involved with, and being able to support Heart Research is no exception.

Along with major sponsor CGU Insurance, the Go1 team are excited to announce that we will be supporting this years Heart Research Australia Charity Golf Day.  The event will be held at Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane on Monday 12 September 2016.

The beneficiary of the event will be Heart Research Australia who funds pioneering first-stage research that aims to identify innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease – Australia’s biggest killer.  Right now, 1.4 million Australians are living with heart disease, and each year more than 55,000 Australians suffer a heart attack – We are out to change that!

Last year the event raised in excess of $120,000, so let's help to make this year bigger and better!

If you would like to help out and support Heart Research Australia you can make a one off donation by CLICKING HERE.  Your donations will help make our Golf Day a financial success of which 100% of all profits made will be donated to Heart Research Australia.

If your company would like to participate in the Golf Day, you can find out more information by contacting James Drake

Go1 supports The 2016 Heart Research Australia Charity Golf Day

A well-thought-out online learning strategy can benefit everyone. At first glance, that might seem like hyperbole. However, in reality, online learning is just that effective. While you might assume that online learning serves the learner primarily, the benefits of online learning are far more wide-reaching. 

Digital learning can improve the performance of individuals, businesses, and society by promoting vital, future-ready skills, such as communication, collaboration, technology, and education. 

Making online learning accessible for everyone from preschool students to post-graduate learners is in all of our best interests. Not only is digital learning creating a smarter, more productive civilization, but also one that is well-informed about new technologies and able to stay on top of emerging trends.

Online learning in the corporate world also has a substantial impact on society. Why? Because today's employees will be the innovators and trainers of our future workforce. By understanding the positive impacts of digital learning, companies can cater to the next wave of employees, offering them flexible and relevant learning experiences. 

From motivation to collaboration, here are five ways that online learning has a positive impact on society.

Online learning keeps you abreast of technology

In a world consumed by technology, there has never been a better time to embrace online learning. Not only are you equipping yourself with the core skills relevant to your field, but you’re developing your broader digital skillset too. 

Using computer software, navigating the internet, and learning via different forms of digital media are all great ways for online learners to improve their technological skills. As more people get access to modern technologies, society will become more tech-savvy overall. This increased digital literacy will allow us to stay up to date with the latest trends, develop future-ready skills,  think laterally, and critically evaluate important information.

Online learning is an innovative collaboration tool

Online learning uses podcasts, file sharing, discussion boards, social media, and more to prompt discussions about coursework and other relevant ideas. These innovative ways of sharing information herald the future of communication. As such, those participating in online learning can one day influence how society connects and collaborates.

Online learning helps make use of downtime and improves motivation

Online learning modules can teach students how to make better use of their downtime. Utilizing downtime is a vital skill that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Fostering a society of productive citizens who excel at time management may lead to significant improvements in organizational skills and a thirst for knowledge.

For further insights on how to make the most of your downtime, check out our article on why our brains need breaks to maintain productivity. 

Online learning helps us build a smarter workforce

A recent study by Harvard found that participants in an online learning experiment could retain more information when it was broken into segments, rather than forcing the entire lecture on them in one sitting. Other estimates find that digital learning increases information retention by up to 60%. 

These findings are highly insightful, showing that microlearning may play a key role in the future of online learning. With students retaining more information than ever thanks to digital learning, we’re ensuring a more intelligent and motivated workforce in the future.

Online learning gives children a headstart

Having access to digital learning modules in the classroom is a game-changer, allowing young students to access more information than ever before. With virtual simulations and models, teachers can communicate subjects that may have previously been out of reach. Similarly, video conferencing and social platforms allow students to communicate with others from different countries and share information like never before. 

Statistics: the positive impact of online learning on society

From a young age, students now benefit significantly from online learning strategies. Research by Mashable found a dramatic improvement in understanding when utilizing a mobile app for preschool kids. What’s more, college students are improving their grades with statistics applications that are incorporated into the coursework.

Likewise, many students have testified to their increased level of interest when engaged in online learning. Given this, online learning will play a central role in improving society and fostering our children’s love of learning.

Statistics also show that 77% of US companies have some form of online learning available to their staff, indicating a remarkable growth in this area. Additionally, the digital learning industry reached a value of $250 billion in 2020$250 billion in 2020 and is expected to continue to grow to around $1 trillion by 2027. In other words, online learning is big business. 

These statistics are only the tip of the iceberg. 42% of workplaces where employees are engaged with L&D also say their employees are highly engaged overall. Similarly, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development.

Moreover, companies with comprehensive training programs have 218% higher revenue per employee and 24% higher profit margins. Further, 42% of US organizations that have implemented online learning programs have seen increased profits. 

On an individual level, employees with access to online learning are 18% more engaged on average. These employees also save time and consume information more efficiently. On average, employees with online learning programs spend 40-60% less time learning while still achieving the same outcomes. 

As a bonus, online learning reduces energy consumption by 90% and produces 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student than face-to-face training, according to a study by Britain’s Open University.

Evidently, the positive impacts of online learning are far-reaching. From increased engagement and information retention to improved collaboration and even fewer CO2 emissions, online learning has a comprehensive positive impact on society. Therefore, a robust, well-funded online learning strategy is now non-negotiable for any high-functioning business.

By uplifting skill levels, communication techniques, and technological prowess, online learning is improving society rapidly. Whether this training is administered on an organizational or individual level, everyone can benefit from online learning initiatives.

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Online learning has been around for decades but only recently have we begun to see its true potential. Learn why it matters now more than ever!

The positive impact of online learning on society

A well-thought-out online learning strategy can benefit everyone. From motivation to collaboration, here are five ways that online learning has a positive impact on society.

Finance is an essential component of any business or organization – we all know money is serious business. That’s why it’s so important, and valuable, for employees to have a good grounding in the principles of finance, even those working outside of the financial industry.

If you’re in a management or team leader role, or running a small business, knowing the basics of finance is absolutely essential, as you’ll need to prepare budgets, manage expenditure, create reports and negotiate with clients. Online courses can help you learn and improve these skills.

Setting aside a small amount of time to learn more about the world of finance can prove to be a very smart investment for your career and future.

For staff already working in the financial industry, you might be looking to refresh or up-skill as part of your professional development program. Online learning is a great staff development tool and can help you meet your goals and boost your job performance.

Whether you’re a beginner to the world of finance or a finance professional looking to improve your skill set, there’s an abundance of online courses suitable for your learning needs. With online courses, you can access high quality professional learning materials from all over the globe, offering you industry-relevant content and the fundamental skills you need to better understand this topic.

To get you started, we’ve hand-picked 5 of the best online finance courses, to suit managers and small business owners outside of the industry, as well as seasoned finance professionals. Read on to see which course could help you.

Targeted towards those working in a corporate environment, this intensive short course will bring you up to speed with the fundamental elements of finance. You’ll learn about the key financial issues related to companies and investors, as well as the interaction between them in the capital markets.

Corporate Finance Essentials will provide you with an understanding of the professional financial vocabulary of companies, allowing you to better understand what’s going on around you and in the financial press and media. After this course, you’ll really be able to hold your own around the finance table.

Perfect for managers who are responsible for the financial running of their team, without being financial managers themselves. Do you manage a HR or project team? You'll need to demonstrate a basic understanding of financial management to your own managers, even if you're not in a financial role.

Finance for Non-Financial Managers can help you grow your career and take on greater responsibility within your organization. In this course, accounting professor Jim Stice helps you develop the financial acumen necessary to:

Interpret financial reports and make decisions based on available data

Communicate your contribution to the bottom line

Keeping up with change: issues for the finance professional

Aimed at finance professionals, this 6-week online course identifies and explores a number of challenges to the finance professional arising from the ever changing business environment.

Keeping Up with Change: Issues for the Finance Professional first looks at finance in a strategic context, in terms of planning, monitoring and controlling projects and activities. It then covers Corporate Governance issues and challenges in relation to finance. Throughout the course modules, you’ll explore challenges facing finance professionals, including:

Challenges to internal control to better manage risk.

With Finance Essentials for Small Business you’ll learn to manage your small business successfully with finance essentials from accounting professors Jim and Kay Stice.

You’ll look at the 5 reasons so many small businesses fail and outline strategies that will help you manage your small business better. These include tracking your accounting, managing your operating cycle and forecasting cash flow

This information online course also provides valuable perspective on pricing strategies and the dangers of fast growth. You’ll cover:

Last, but not least, is a series of online courses. And as their name suggests, these courses focus on making finance accessible to everyone, whether they work in the finance industry or not.

Gain a better understanding of the financial world and what’s going on in the media, and learn the practical skills you need to run your own household and potentially a small business. The series contains titles such as: 

Finance for Everyone – Markets explores the world of interest rates, explaining how interest rates change the value of all financial instruments, while highlighting the role of the bond and stock markets. You’ll also look at the impact of interest rates on consumption, investment and economic growth, and the bizarre realities of negative interest rates.

Finance for Everyone – Value is a fascinating course about the universal frameworks that determine how ideas and money interact, leading to the allocation of financial resources. Through this course, you’ll identify components of cash flow for any project, business or venture as the most essential ingredients of value.

Finance for Everyone – Decisions looks at how to simplify important financial calculations and apply that knowledge to real-life decisions that can influence your life and business.

Get your finance journey started with online learning

Whichever online finance course you decide is best for your personal or professional development, you’ll know it’s been specifically built to get you up to speed within the shortest amount of time.

You may think you don’t have the time to take on more learning, between full-time work and your busy family or social life, but even one hour a week can be enough to greatly improve your knowledge and skills. As we said before, setting aside a small amount of time to learn more about the world of finance can prove to be a very smart investment for your career and future.

You can also take a look through more great courses, many of them free, in Go1’s marketplace – simply enrol and complete training modules online, at your own pace, in the convenience of your own home or office.

Learn more about finance with these courses

Do you seem to be dragging yourself to work every day? Feeling constantly tired, struggling to find any energy or motivation for your job, and running on coffee and adrenaline to get through the day?

If any of this resonates with you, there’s a chance you could be at serious risk of burning out – a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that brings with it a lack of motivation, low efficiency and feelings of helplessness for sufferers.

Look over this list of 13 signs of burnout, outlined by Vanessa Loder for Forbes – or read through the first four below: 

Feeling frequently on edge, with adrenaline constantly coursing through your body

Lack of engagement – you don’t feel motivated at work

Increased cynicism – feelings more negative, cranky and defensive or snapping at people easily

Distracted eating – eating your meals in front of a computer or on the go

Sound familiar? If you’re a manager or team leader, this could bring to mind someone in your team, or even yourself.

It’s really important for individuals, as well as managers, to be aware of any signs of job burnout and take action before it has any further effects on a person’s mental and physical health.

The impacts of employee burnout are considerable – organizations can expect to suffer from reduced productivity, higher employee turnover, financial burdens from absenteeism and the possibility of medical, legal, and insurance expenses.

For individuals, burnout can contribute to serious mental health issues, such as anxiety, insomnia, hyper vigilance and depression. These can in turn lead to problems with physical health, manifesting in high blood pressure, heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, adrenal exhaustion and chronic fatigue.

On top of all this, your physical and mental exhaustion can very likely lead to doubts about your competence and the value of your work, causing you more stress and creating a vicious circle. Basically, you’re not having a very good time at this point.

There are many factors that can contribute to burnout, including poor work-life balance, stress, mismatched needs or values, or a disharmonious workplace environment. Let’s take a closer look at the five major causes for employee burnout.   

Most people are aware of the importance of keeping a healthy work-life balance.

Striking a satisfying balance between work and family/social life is very important for an individual’s health and overall wellbeing. But many of us are still guilty of putting in an unhealthy amount of time and energy into our jobs, leading to poor work-life balance.

If you find that your work takes up so much of your time and effort that you don't have any energy to spend time with your family and friends, you’re at an increased risk of burning out.

Another factor that can strongly contribute to burnout is not taking the time to disconnect from work to renew your energy.

In the workplace, most of us are conscious of being switched “on” while on the job – especially if we’re dealing with time pressures, tight deadlines, high workloads and lots of meetings or negotiations.

Failing to fully disengage from work, by switching off at home after hours, puts you at risk of chronic stress and other elements of burnout. Earlier this year, France passed a labor reform law that banned checking emails on weekends, in the interest of employee health and productivity. This highlights the important link between disconnecting from work and maintaining positive emotional and physical health.

A recent study, released in August 2016, considers one of the main causes of burnout to be a mismatch between a person's unconscious needs and the opportunities and demands of their workplace.

These “unconscious needs” take into account our unique personalities – who we are and what motivates us as individuals. For example, you may have an unconscious need to feel in charge, to maintain discipline or to engage in strong discussions or negotiations. On the other side of the scales, we have people who seek a sense of warmth and welcoming from their workplace, needing positive personal relations, trust and a feeling of belonging.

Neither one of these two examples is right or wrong – humans are complex, with all of us needing very different things from our place of work. However, working in a job that doesn’t match up with your needs can cause problems, with the greater the mismatch, the higher the risk of burnout.

To address this issue, you can look at ways to improve the correlation between your job and your needs through “job crafting”. For example, an employee with a strong need for collaboration and personal relations might find ways to include more teamwork in their role. Talk to your manager about this. A good manager should be interested in understanding their team members’ differences and working with them in a positive way.

It’s also important to think about your values and whether they align with those of the company or organization you work for. If you’re passionate about the environment, or animal welfare, working for a company with no understanding of those values or ethics could prove unsustainable.

Trying to suppress your true thoughts and feelings at a job where your values don’t match up is exhausting and will wear anyone down, leaving you feeling emotionally drained.

Working in a negative environment with bad vibes between team mates, or any form of bullying or harassment, is another big contributor to job stress.

Unsupportive managers, bullying colleagues, micromanaging supervisors – any form of interpersonal conflict will have a huge impact on an individual’s resilience and increase their likelihood of burnout.

Your role as a manager in preventing staff burnout

As a manager, particularly if you’re in HR, it’s your responsibility to recognize the signs of chronic stress, exhaustion or burnout in your employees and help them to understand and manage it. It’s also vital that you do this for yourself – you can’t look after others unless you’re looking after yourself first.

Taking a short online course such as Avoiding Burnout will help you to recognize and deal with some of the most common causes of burnout. This course also offers practical advice for figuring out how to prevent stress from building up and tips on how to recover. Talk to your team about the risks of burning out and engage them in positive, open discussion.

Staff turnover is inevitable. Unfortunately, it’s also very costly for your business.

One of the easiest ways to prevent turnover is by cultivating a committed employer-to-employee relationship at the outset. Making new staff members feel as comfortable and as well informed as possible from day one helps set expectations  If you’re trying to avoid having your personnel abandon ship, you might want to start by taking a long, hard look at your onboarding program.

Approximately 45% of companies reportedly estimate their total turnover costs (i.e., costs necessary to replace and train a lost employee) to be more than $25,000 per person – a shockingly significant amount. From advertising to interviewing candidates and educating new hires, filling an empty position can add up to an enormous expense. And, when so much time, effort and money are devoted to the process of hiring new staff members, it can be quite distressing to see an employee give notice after a short period of time. Unfortunately, however, it appears as though large numbers of people within the business world are doing just that; half of all employees who left their job in the past year allegedly did so within the first twelve months of their new position. 

This lightning-fast turnaround is just one of the many reasons why it’s so crucial for organisations to develop a good onboarding program. After all, your staff retention rate is only as good as the first impression you make. With an effective onboarding process, you can reduce turnover, increase employee engagement and allow staff members to reach their full potential in a faster, more efficient manner.

Let’s take a look at a few key ideas that can revolutionise your onboarding culture and start you on the road to securing a loyal business team—a team that you’ll be able to depend upon for years to come.

Initial impressions of a new position are formulated during those all-important first few days on the job. These early assessments are based on a variety of factors, each of which has the power to make or break the employer/employee bond. This “early days” period is a critical time for both employer and employee as it allows each party to consider whether the partnership is an ideal fit. This is where onboarding comes in.

The purpose of onboarding is to help new team members become acclimatised to their working environment and to welcome them into the fold—all while providing them with the information and resources they’ll need to do their job and do it well.

Consider this: The way in which an organisation brings new team members on board says a lot about the company as a whole. As such, it’s essential to view onboarding as being separate from orientation. While orientation may involve little more than a few hours spent signing some paperwork and reading over company policies, onboarding is a long-term process that encompasses elements of both administrative induction and ongoing training.

  Friendly, informative one-on-one meetings

  Hands-on exercises that simulate real-world experiences

  A complete online learning management system for comprehensive training (see below)

Pledge to support professional development

Think of onboarding not only as an overall training system, but also as a chance for you to show how well you engage with your staff and how much energy you’re willing to invest in your employees’ professional development. Make sure your staff members know that you want them to succeed and that you’d like to see them go far. Let them know their training is just the first step in a long and prosperous journey. This type of active involvement on your part will foster a healthy work environment and provide your employees with an added incentive to stay by your side.

Engage in an online learning management system

A learning management system (LMS) can be used very effectively as part of your onboarding program. These systems enable new hires to access educational training materials from the comfort of their own desk. A carefully prepared LMS can also allow new employees to work through their training at their own pace with the help of a mobile device. In addition, online onboarding can be far more interactive, particularly as many online courses can be customised according to your company’s specific needs. And—at the risk of stating the obvious—a smoother, more enjoyable onboarding program means fewer turnovers and the ultimate improvement of your bottom line.

You don’t necessarily need to overhaul your entire onboarding process to get started. Begin with one or two courses, incorporate them into your current onboarding program and get a feel for what you and your organisation will need. And remember: It’s never a bad idea to onboard your onboarders. You may wish to enroll your HR managers in an online training course such as Go1’s “Onboarding New Hires” in order to furnish them with more practical information on this vital topic. (This course shows managers how to integrate new hires into their teams and how to prepare these teams for future successes. The class also includes some helpful tips on how to make the first day, week, month or year a positive and productive time for your new employee, which can lead to a long and fruitful partnership with your company.)

Once you’ve made the switch to an LMS, you’ll most likely never look back. The immense convenience and streamlined techniques of these systems will give you sufficient tools to help build and expand your learning programs as your business continues to grow.

Hopefully this article has made you think more about the importance of comprehensive onboarding processes and the benefits they can bring to your organisation as well as to your new staff members.

If you wish to learn more or would like to explore a competitive LMS course catalogue, there are many valuable resources available on the Go1 website. 

Why a good employee onboarding program will reduce staff turnover

The end of August is nearing and we have just released the second installment of our updates and improvements to the Go1 Platform for the month. In this update we have more filtering options to reports in the new Administrator Dashboard, updated notification settings for when you leave a portal, added new tools to sort your courses by enrollment status, and have improved our password straight settings when signing up or updating information.

Find out more about all of the updates below:


If you log into your portal and don't see all of your courses appearing, don't worry, they are still there, they have just been filtered to display your In Progress courses.

We are continuing to improve the way that you manages your enrollments through new filtering tools through the administrator dashboard.

When creating or updating passwords relating to Go1 accounts, users will now see a password strength meter in addition to all passwords requiring a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter and a number to be accepted.

If a user leaves, or is removed from a portal they will no longer see notifications for that portal. This ensures that all notifications displayed are relevant to the users current courses and learning material.

Profile fields correct order display has been updated and you can add descriptions to groups

The functionality around using audio in questions has been improved

Users are now required to confirm assignments with uploading their own work

Functionality for private courses to be displayed in JSEmbed websites has been updated

Feedback bar appearing Quiz has been updated

Loading issues around private LearningPathway have been resolved

Portal configuration is now saved correctly

Blocked users logic has been updated. Blocked users now can access courses outside the blocked portal

Android users can now switch between  portals

If you have any questions about any of the updates and improvements listed above, please let us know and our Customer Success Team can help you out!

What's new in the Go1 end of August release

Dealing with difficult people is an unfortunate yet unavoidable part of life. It would be fantastic if we got along with everyone we met. However, sadly, this isn’t realistic. Whether we like it or not, most of us have probably encountered a colleague, manager, or classmate with whom we struggle to get along. Managing our responses to these difficult situations can be challenging, particularly if we have to interact with that person regularly. 

Thankfully, dealing with difficult people is a skill that can be mastered. Like most things in life, you can mitigate the power these 'difficult' people have over you. With a few simple strategies, you can work more effectively with difficult people and find resolution and harmony in the workplace, at home, and in other interpersonal relationships. 

In some cases, so-called ‘difficult people’ may not even realise their effects on others — what’s annoying to one person is commonplace to another. As such, it’s vital to approach any situation with care, understanding, and a high degree of empathy and emotional intelligence. 

 We’ll start by asking why some people are more difficult than others, before looking at how you should approach a difficult person, and offering concrete strategies for dealing with difficult situations.

Why are some people more difficult than others?

As social creatures with diverse backgrounds, interests, opinions, and personalities, human beings can't maintain good relationships with everyone they meet. It is a simple fact of life that not everyone will like you, and you will not like everyone you meet. Inevitably, some individuals will experience personality clashes that lead to stress, worry, and anxiety. With others, you just won’t see eye-to-eye, no matter how hard you try. 

As such, dealing with difficult people is unavoidable, especially in a large workplace. Respectfully managing and resolving these clashes when they arise is vital.

According to Science of People, there are three types of difficult people that you will commonly encounter in the workplace:

Downers are constantly negative, always offering criticism, complaints and judgement while putting others down.

Better Thans are always looking to show off or one-up you. They try to get the last word in and undermine you at every opportunity.

Finally, Tanks are explosive, aggressive, and bossy. They want everything to be their way or the highway and will use bullying tactics to achieve their desired outcome. 

Sometimes, a difficult person is just that: objectively difficult to get along with. Maybe they’re acting like a bully, calling you hurtful names, or undermining you in front of colleagues. 

On other occasions, this line can be blurry. It can help to remember that it’s not just you who has a personal reaction to the situation. Try to consider multiple perspectives before reacting, as ‘difficult’ behaviours can be subjective, especially in a workplace with people from many diverse backgrounds. Something that you might think is unreasonable or unfair may be viewed as entirely just and reasonable by a third party. 

For example, you might find it annoying when a co-worker plays their music out loud or eats a particular meal at their desk. However, others might have no problem with this behaviour or even enjoy it.  As such, perspective is vitally important when dealing with ‘difficult’ people. 

Try to view ‘difficult’ situations from multiple angles to determine the most appropriate response. In these examples, a calm, respectful conversation is probably the best course of action. Usually, most people will react reasonably and take your feelings into account. 

Having said this, it is critical to distinguish between people you find slightly grating or don’t quite see eye-to-eye with and those who exhibit genuinely inappropriate behaviours, such as bullying, sexism, racism, discrimination, and harassment. These behaviours have no place at work or in society at large. Such behaviours are unacceptable and should be swiftly dealt with when they arise.

To summarise, humans are wildly individual, meaning it’s natural to clash from time to time on personal thoughts, experiences, and actions. Encountering difficult people is an annoying yet natural part of life. How we deal with these clashes is what’s important. 

What’s not okay is when someone goes out of their way to be difficult, cause problems with others, or exhibit behaviours that cross a line, such as those outlined above. In these instances, the situation must be resolved accordingly by either calling their behaviour out or escalating the conflict to a manager. 

How should you approach a difficult person?

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when dealing with difficult people. Every situation is unique. Thus, you need to approach each encounter with an open mind and assess it on its merits.

Even so, there are several helpful strategies you can remember to reach an effective and professional resolution with difficult colleagues. When faced with a difficult situation, follow the STOP acronym to give yourself time to think about your response and react appropriately.

S – Stop what you’re doing immediately.

T – Take three deep breaths and concentrate on your breathing.

O – Observe how you’re feeling both physically and mentally.

P – Proceed with kindness and avoid negative reactions.

Strategies for dealing with difficult people

In any high-functioning workplace, there are a diverse array of backgrounds, perspectives, and personalities. While this diversity is usually a huge positive, it does mean there's no single, unilateral approach to conflict resolution. As mentioned, personality clashes are inevitable when working closely with others, so context and perspective are vital.

When dealing with difficult people, your reaction can be just as impactful as their initial action or comment. A reactive response can add fuel to the fire, causing the situation to spiral out of control. 

We’ve compiled several strategies to approach difficult people. Applying these strategies may help disarm the situation, leading to fair, rational discussions.

Remaining calm is often easier said than done — especially when you’re in the heat of the moment. However, the STOP model illustrated above can ensure you keep a level head when dealing with difficult people. 

Once our emotions are heightened, our judgment can become clouded. It’s a good idea to take a step back if you feel yourself getting heated when clashing with a difficult colleague. Removing yourself from the situation until you have calmed down may be your best course of action, allowing you to gain a fresh perspective on the interaction. 

Staying as calm as possible will help you reach an amicable resolution and avoid overreacting or stooping to inappropriate behaviours such as yelling or name-calling. 

One of the worst traits of difficult people is their propensity to shift blame and responsibility onto others. If you’re on the receiving end of this behaviour, it can make you feel inadequate and even cause you to question your worth. 

Rather than acting defensively, turn the situation around and question the aggressor to put the spotlight back on them. For example, ask them how they want things done or what specific results they are looking for. 

As Psychology Today explains, “keep your questions constructive and probing. By putting the difficult person in the spotlight, you can help neutralise her or his undue influence over you.“ 

Sometimes, it’s best to pick your battles. Before reacting, decide if a situation is worth your time and energy. If the situation is merely annoying, rather than inappropriate or offensive, it may be better to let it go. 

As SCMP explains, “decide when someone is worth your time and patience, and when it’s best to simply walk away. If it’s possible to keep your distance from the person in question, then do so. Don’t feel guilty about putting your own well-being first, and cutting off contact with someone you know is going to upset you.” 

Other times, it may be impossible to pick your battles and walk away — especially if you have to work closely with someone. In these instances, apply the other coping strategies we have outlined and remind yourself that difficult people often have good qualities too, rather than focussing solely on the negatives.

Finally, ‘picking your battles’ can vary from situation to situation. Use your judgment and discretion, as it is essential to set clear boundaries at work and call out any inappropriate behaviours that cross a line. A co-worker chewing too loudly at their desk may be something you can let go of. On the other hand, harassment, bullying, and discrimination should always be called out.

In extreme cases, where difficult people have verged into being bullies, you’ll need to confront them safely. Difficult people are dangerous when they act like bullies, whether it’s using verbal or physical abuse or other methods such as intimidation. 

At work, you may want to provide evidence of the bully’s behaviour to a higher-up or confront them respectfully with others present to ensure your safety.

According to Psychology Today: “when confronting bullies, be sure to place yourself in a position where you can safely protect yourself, whether it’s standing tall on your own, having other people present to witness and support, or keeping a paper trail of the bully’s inappropriate behavior. In cases of physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, consult with counseling, legal, law enforcement, or administrative professionals on the matter. It’s very important to stand up to bullies, and you don’t have to do it alone.” 

When someone offends you, avoid reactive responses, as these can add fuel to the fire. Instead, take a step back, use the STOP method, and think about the situation holistically to see if there are alternate interpretations. Doing so can help you avoid jumping to conclusions and minimise potential misunderstandings. 

As Psychology Today recommends, “when you feel offended by someone’s words or deeds, come up with multiple ways of viewing the situation before reacting.” 

For example, a co-worker hasn’t responded to your email as quickly as you would like. A reactive response would be to assume they’re intentionally ignoring you. In contrast, you can consider the situation from their perspective and realise they’re probably just busy and will respond to your message soon. 

Understand that people often do things for their own reasons, and their actions don’t necessarily reflect on you. Consider this before reacting to avoid acting in the heat of the moment or doing anything you might regret. 

As Rick Kirschner, the co-author of Dealing with People You Can’t Stand, says, “we must first change how we react to people before we can change how we interact with them.”

Dealing with difficult people is an unfortunate yet unavoidable part of life. With this in mind, we’ll take you step-by-step through how to deal with difficult people.