Effectively dealing with a negative person in a meeting can put your management skills to the test so here are a couple of tips.
This person may fall under Robert I Sutton's definition of an asshole however let's just call him Mr. Pita (Pain In The Ass) for short.
Identifying Mr. Pita
Mr. Pita is your co-worker who comes to each brainstorming session and says "That won't work because….".
Mr. Pita is your typical "been there done that" person.
He's had a lot of experience and thinks he has all the answers.
In many cases he's a senior employee so you will be fully utilizing your management skill set. Here's a quick refresher on the "Art of Managing Up" if you need it.
Key point: Mr. Pita never produces ideas on how to solve problems. If he speaks it's only to say what's wrong. "You're forgetting one thing….." is one of his favorite phrases.
How to diffuse Mr. Pita
Mr. Pita has more to say so help him find his words
When the "That won't work because…." reason is said, immediately say to Mr. Pita directly "That's a good point…what would you suggest?"
While he can be annoying he may also have some insight into the issue. Remember your goal here is to get at solutions and not get into a verbal conflict.
Give Mr. Pita a job
Quickly include him in the process of solving the issue. Put him in charge of the marker and writing things up on the board.
Make it so Mr. Pita is an active member in the discussion instead of a sniper at the far end of the conference room table shooting down ideas.
Mr. Pita can easily derail a good session so quickly get him back on track so you can get the most out of your next meeting.
