So tell me what right now do you want from this situation?

Like, what is it you want different?

What's your goal ultimately here?

So I do want to find a way to fix the relationship with him because the times where, you know,

we were having a good trusting relationship and he was taking what I was

saying and using it and acting on it, we worked really, really well. Then something happened.

And now he's out to prove something to the world and he's trying to do it

alone.

Yeah.

And so that brings upon a tremendous amount of stress and pressure, you know, that he's just

passing along to me, to the team, it's not healthy,

it's not sustainable. And if we can't overcome that negative energy, I fear that this team

won't exist in three to six months.

You're listening to Women at Work from Harvard Business Review.

I'm Amy Gallo, and this is our Getting Along series, where I teach you how to deal with different

types of difficult people.

Here's how these episodes go.

A listener guest tells me about the difficult person who's wearing them down. And I recommend tactics and phrases that, according to behavioral science, should counteract

that bad behavior.

The goal is that through those small actions, the listener can build a more functional relationship for the sake of their sanity and their career.

Today's guest is Maria, though that's a pseudonym she's using so she can speak candidly about her situation.

Maria's a project manager.

...