Difficult People or Competitive Edge Part Four- The Constant Critic (TCC)

The Constant Critic (TCC)

I get it! Difficult people on your team can zap your energy ‘getting on your nerves,’ making it a pain to work with them. Well guess what, I’m here to tell you that pretty much every difficult person you will ever lead, can be a great asset; you may even find them not so difficult after all!
 
This series has been dedicated to helping you figure out how to tap into hidden potential of difficult types and minimize the frustration:
- Part one when you’re challenged with a “The Know All” (TKA)
- Part two for the blow it up Revolutionary type (TNT) or
- Part three the Take No Prisoners (TNP) personality type
 
To wrap up the series, I’m going to help you with one seldom discussed, often misunderstood and a very draining style to work with… the Constant Critic (TCC)!
 
You know this type; they tend to be appear very negative. Just like Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh) who constantly points out the negative in every move. They don’t cause big drama but they do seem reluctant to get onboard with anything new, usually based on some prior experience.
 
The Constant Critic profile:

• Oppositional
• Seemingly discontented
• Pessimistic
• Aloof
• Gloomy
• Distrusts authority
• Questions ways of doing things
• Gives problems vs offering up solutions

Meet Pete – “Mr. Quiet Dissonance”
Pete (name changed) has an accounting background and works as a Director, Strategic Planning & Performance for a large Retailer. He's been an executive for 5 years but has been with the company for over 20. The 3 people who report to him quite enjoy working with him.
 
He reports to Marnie (not her real name), VP Business Performance who was recently promoted. Marnie and I have been working together on improving her direct team’s collaboration and she asked for help with Pete, in particular.
 
Pete is commonly referred to as the ‘company historian’ and has lived through a couple of mergers, several name changes as well as take over from a US-based company.
 
Marnie was forewarned that Pete seemed disengaged before she took on the team.

• Most of her team ignored Pete or left him out of meetings, social gatherings or even after work get-togethers
• He developed a reputation for being a ‘wet blanket’ and the team would roll their eyes in meetings whenever he criticized their ideas
• Pete would often retort with ‘we tried that before’, or ‘it never worked when we did that’, or ‘has this idea been vetted with that group’, seldom offering a positive word
• Often sitting with arms crossed in team meetings

 
Pete is a great example of the Constant Critic personality type!
 
The good news is Pete responded positively to Marnie as soon as she began implementing strategies we spoke about.
 
Her action plan included:

• Asking Pete for his perspective regarding proposed plans…in private. Avoiding group condescension and giving her the ability to probe deeper on his views
• Seeking his input and opinion about challenges the group faces, based on history, so he would open up more
• Praising insights that gave tangible problems to solve; this allowed her to problem solve WITH him, creating buy in as well as getting the ‘inside scoop’ on the team's dynamic
• Appreciating his input only when it was useful. Helping him to focus more on solutions
• Side-stepping negative commentary by not engaging in it
• Genuinely credit his experience when put to good use (positive reinforcement)

In future Marnie will have a candid conversation with Pete about his attitude and how it affects others, but only should his negativity return with the team. Likewise she will give feedback to other team members about their eye rolls; encouraging them to see his different perspective.
 
At this point, her focus is on developing more of a trusted relationship, and that maybe all it takes.
 
Marnie's increased interest in his experience seems to have had a positive impact already; the team has noticed Pete becoming more participatory – no more crossed arms in meetings and some have even commented about him being more sociable.
 
The benefit of having a TCC on your team – great devils advocate, can help you develop persuasive arguments, often sees a different perspective and helps to reflect on pending plans. Often they have learned from past mistakes, can be a historian with very helpful information to draw upon.
 
The key to leading a TCC – remain positive, redirect negativity, stick to facts and data that support positive outcomes. Help them see the impact of their behaviour on others if it becomes a problem. Ask the TCC to reframe their initial reaction toward a more positive response.
 
Caution leading a TCC – do not get pulled into negativity. Limit how much time you give when they become negative.
 
For every difficult type of person, there is a way of changing YOUR perspective about what contribution they bring to your team. It may take a little effort, but drawing upon unique perspectives can be a competitive edge for your team.
 
If you are dealing with a difficult person on your team (or even your boss) and you’d like help to figure out how to communicate better with them, send me an email. There are just as many strategies as there are difficult personality types!
 
Bonus tip:
Can you see a bit of yourself in Pete? Have you been 'shutting down' at work, avoiding colleagues or find yourself to be increasingly contrary?

You may be a Constant Critic or are heading that way.

Time to reflect on how negative you may appear to others:

• Negativity and criticism show up most when you feel under-valued. Or you have broader experience (than others) and perceive no one is listening to you
• Develop your own plan to be heard more
• Reconsider how you get your message across, particularly to your boss

If you need guidance, please send me a note, I am here to help.

Photo CC0 @bkotynski Unsplash