Understand what makes a person “difficult”.

So what do we mean when we describe someone as “difficult”? What is it about that person that is difficult to deal with?
The reasons why people are perceived or described as difficult are many, but some of the most common reasons given tend to fall into the areas of “behaviour” or “personality”.
Often if you take the time to understand what it is that makes an individual difficult, you may find that their behaviour is closely linked to an underlying factor such as their fears, values, needs or a lack of personal confidence. With a greater understanding of what makes a person "tick", it may surprise you to find that the management of “difficult” people or situations become easier and more successful.

Seek the advice of a mentor.

We all have different skills and ways of dealing with people. A person may be perceived as being difficult to work with by some and not by others. Seeking the confidential advice of a mentor or someone who is able to successfully manage the behaviour of a “difficult person” can often be a helpful way of gaining or refining interpersonal skills in this area.

Use your own life experience to manage difficult people.

Often from our own life experiences we  are able to develop skills and find ways of successfully managing difficult behaviour. 
It is therefore important to draw on your individual strengths when dealing with difficult people and use this confidence and experience to manage situations as they arise.
Your experience in dealing with these situations may provide opportunities to mentor others in the future.

Evaluate your approach.

Like any system or approach, evaluating your method can be a good way of making sure that you are reaching your personal goals and objectives.   F or example following dealings with a difficult situation or person you might like to evaluate the outcomes such as the way you handled the situation, the result or actions achieved, the way you felt, the way that the other person felt and the effect that your style of management has had on the team or organisation.
From there you might like to consider the effectiveness of your approach and if there needs to be modifications or changes made in the future.

While learning from experience try not to be over critical. Make achievable goals. It is important to accept that often the way that we deal or behave with an issue or person depends upon circumstances which we may not always have control over.