Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult to get along with?

This scenario happens frequently in our current work days. The best way is to make it an open meeting between you and the other party with a different opinions and suggestion. It is highly recommended to offer a training for the tasks that's need to be done with the other party to be able to perform his job tasks.

This situation is commonly in our current work days and increasing day by day. I have worked with an organization and have some problem clashes with one of my colleague regarding the Targeted Tasks. . However, I realized the importance of completing the assignment in a prompt and efficient manner. I made a meeting with him in front of my Managers and I point to put my differences aside and complete my part.  At the end we done our assignment without any conflict.

I do agree with Mr. Tahir “The best way to accomplish this task is to be very straight forward and short with the person. Do not try to make small time with them, just tell them exactly what needs done and start working.”

Recently, I had problem in accomplishing a task where my seniors initiated the project but left me no where in between. It took me a year to bring that task close to success level through mitigation and diversion.

As a Production Planner I had constantly a problem with the Shipping Supervisor....

She always needed things ASAP, when the order was not due till after production manufactured the items needed or the item was in stock and her personnel did not know where to find it.

We had a product change and were advised by management not to sell the old product after a date.

An order was due and I been told once again to produce6 dz of the item  in question. I knew I had89 dz in stock and just had produced this item again and told her that ... she claimed it was all old stock and insisted to drop everything and manufacture her order, however she made one mistake inviting me  in to the warehouse to check the inventory...needless to say I found24 dz in the first location I looked up in the computer and additional merchandise in other locations.

I opened one of the boxes brought it to her and informed her that there are24 dz in just this location.

Since she had copied the VP's and my manager into this email and I replied to all, where to find the new production items, our President called me into his office and asked me to identify all locations in the shipping warehouse with old merchandise. I did furnished him this information within48 hours.

He thanked me in an email, mentioning that he trusted me to get the job done ... It felt good to know having our Presidents trust and he had copied the department managers and VP's.

I believe this was one of the reasons I received a promotion and recommendation to switch to Purchasing.

I also did not receive any more emails demanding to change my production schedule from the Shipping Supervisor which became the Shipping Manager  2 years later.

Agreed with colleagues answers: Mr. Ayoub, Ms. Elik and Mr. Wolf Klaas.

Like mr. Tartir stated, thats more or less normal and happens frequently. Mostly people are difficult when they don't have enough self confidence. Its easy to work with skilled people, thats makes a discusion easy, sure , everybody has an opinion but finaly can understand the motives of others.

Difficult people just hold on to there opinion

How to deal with them. Keep them in the discussion, that gives them self confidence and sometimes lifts them up to the rest of the team, problem solved. If not I try to let them ventilate there opinion and keep the discussion alive. If everything fails, I take them separate and talk to them, if that doesn't help I m the Project Manager and tell him what to do and how, preferably not, but sometimes that's necessary as well.

I would rather not talk about it

Thank you for invitation...

I support answer of En. Wolf Klaas Kinsbergen.

I agree with the professors, engineers, and thank you for the invitation.

A Contractor because he only looks to his profit.

I have previously had situation like this in my job.I respect the fact that everybody has their own opinion and see things differently.And I also acknowledge the fact that we can use different roads to arrive to thesame destination.However, in situation that me and the other person needs to work collaboratively to check off a certain goal,I usually opt for a meeting to see how we can blend our different ideas and opinion with the main aim of completing the task at hand.