ST. PAUL, MN International speaker Connie Podesta gave a humorous and satirical 90-minute keynote speech Tuesday morning on the final day of the AmericInn International LLC annual conference being held here at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel St. Paul.
Podesta, the author of three books, presented an entertaining, interactive talk on how “Life Would Be Easy If It Weren t For Other People.”
Running through the work behavior types overachievers, perfectionists, pushovers and iconoclasts and the habits of men and women, Podesta let the audience know that to deal with difficult people, it was best to look inside first.
She noted there are four communication styles: assertive, passive, aggressive and passive-aggressive.
Whether guest, co-worker, boss even family member Podesta advised, “We need to understand why they act the way they do and why we react the way we do.”
“We choose what style we use to communicate our needs, ideas and concerns. We also choose which style we use to communicate when reacting to other people. Often, our reactions, such as tears, withdrawal, yelling, silent treatment, compliance, are exactly the reward the difficult person was looking for.”
She encouraged attendees to realize they had a choice in how a situation could go, either on the job or at home, by knowing they had a choice over their reactions. (5/8/01) Stefani C. O Connor