I recently encountered someone who acted condescending toward me. They put on an air of superiority and treated me as though I wasn't very bright. I'm not the smartest person I know, but I did qualify for membership in Mensa, the high-IQ society. (To be clear, it's nothing to be proud of. It's something you're born with. It would be like being proud of having feet.) In this article, I'll show you how to deal with condescending people.

TLDR: How to Work with Someone You Don't Like • You do not have to like everyone you work with, but you are responsible for how you treat them• Working with people you don’t like is a leadership skill, not a personality flaw• Awareness and intentionality reduce conflict and improve outcomes• The five principles of IT customer service apply to coworkers just as much as customers…

From Transactions to Relationships: A Compassionate Geek New Year’s Resolution That Actually Works Most of us don’t wake up thinking, Today I’m going to treat people like transactions. It just happens. It happened with me in the early days of my career and in my first marriage. You know: you do this for me, and I’ll do this for you.

Here’s a truth most of us don’t like to admit: the personal leadership principles that guide our lives rarely come from bestselling books, viral posts, or polished keynote stages. (As an author and keynote speaker, this is very difficult for me!) They come from regular people saying something simple, true, and stubbornly useful at exactly the right moment. TLDR: 3 Personal Leadership Principles for Your New Year…

It's Wednesday, December 24, the day before Christmas. Normally, I would have spent Tuesday preparing a blog post that would publish today. Instead, yesterday I spent hanging out with my grandkids and Janet, my wife. My granddaughter and I spent Monday making marshmallows from scratch. My grandson is starting to experiment with music, so I spent time with him talking about music, math, and intervals.

TL;DR: Remembering Names Matters In leadership, customer service, and teamwork, names matter more than most people think. Remembering names isn’t a memory issue; it’s an attention and intention issue. Using someone’s name signals respect and immediately builds trust. Saying a name out loud locks it in better than silent repetition. Simple techniques work if you actually use them consistently.

TLDR: People Skills for IT Technicians The real job in IT is solving human problems, not just technical ones, which makes people skills a core part of the work. People skills fuel collaboration, innovation, and effective teamwork across the business. Understanding business goals is essential because IT work is really about solving human problems with technical solutions. Strong communication and empathy help you deal with non-technical colleagues without tolerating nonsense.

TLDR: A Protocol for IT Service Tickets A support ticket protocol protects your team from chaos and sets clear expectations for users Most ticket pain comes from avoidable behaviors like skipping documentation or unclear triage Awareness and intentionality are the secret sauce for turning routine tickets into trust builders The five principles from The Compassionate Geek keep interactions human and respectful…

On the Paramount series Landman, Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) offers fatherly advice to his son, Cooper (Jacob Lofland), on how to understand women: "Ask, and then listen, and then make it come true." That’s just generally good advice for understanding people, regardless of gender. Want people to think you're a great conversationalist? Learn to listen well.

TLDR: Critical Factors in Self-Care • Stress Management for IT leaders depends on strong boundaries, consistent rest and nutrition, and effective delegation.• Awareness and intentionality help you communicate in a way that reduces stress instead of adding to it.• Solid people skills make the technical work easier because they minimize conflict and confusion.• Daily habits matter more than rare bursts of self-improvement.

I worked with Jim when I was in my mid-20s. Jim was very talented. He was also an unreasonable guy. In fact, Jim was one of the most unreasonable people I've ever known. He was demanding, self-centered, and dishonest. I didn't know how to deal with him. I took his outbursts and insults personally. I tried to reason with him. I would interrupt his outbursts.

TL:DR The Difference Between Influence and Manipulation Influence and manipulation both persuade, but the difference is intent, honesty, and respect. Influence seeks mutual benefit; manipulation serves only one side. Ethical influence builds trust with customers, teams, and leaders. Manipulation destroys trust and drives disengagement. Influence is an essential skill for any Compassionate Geek — it’s how you turn competence into leadership.

TLDR: The Value of Continuing Professional Education Continuing professional education strengthens both your technical skills and your people skills. Keeping certifications current builds confidence, fills knowledge gaps, and demonstrates excellence. Certifications are powerful marketing tools for MSPs, IT departments, and individuals. Technical skills earn respect, while communication, empathy, and compassion build trust. Awareness and intentionality, knowing how your words and actions affect others, create better outcomes for everyone.

TLDR: Key Points on Customer Communication in IT Too much communication can be as damaging as too little. Be aware of how your words and actions affect others and be intentional in creating positive outcomes. Choose one primary communication channel and let customers decide their preferred method. Over-communicating can turn good service into customer annoyance. Apply the Five Principles of IT Customer Service: technical competence, compassion, empathy, good listening, and dignity and respect.

TLDR Mindfulness in IT Mindfulness in IT means paying attention to your thoughts, words, and actions in the moment, especially during stressful situations. Awareness helps you recognize how your behavior affects customers, coworkers, and people in your personal life. Intentionality means choosing words and actions that create positive outcomes instead of reacting impulsively. The Five Principles of IT Customer Service (technical competence, compassion, empathy, good listening skills, and treating others with dignity and respect) are natural extensions of mindfulness.

TLDR: Why Thank-Yous Matter A sincere “thank you,” even for routine work, can boost morale and motivation. Gratitude in IT shows awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Thanking coworkers for “just doing their job” reinforces trust and teamwork. The Five Principles of IT Customer Service, competence, compassion, empathy, listening, and respect, come alive through gratitude. Awareness and intentionality turn quick thank-yous into meaningful connections.

TLDR Version: Reading the Room Fixing the problem isn’t enough. Travis (IT) and Dennis (pest control) both solved the technical issue but failed on people skills by ignoring customer signals. Read the room. Pay attention to body orientation, tone of voice, and environment to know if your customer wants to chat or just get back to work. Match their energy.

TLDR: 5 Points About Integrating Sociology with Technology The Functionalist Theory of Sociology explains how each part of society contributes to its overall stability. In IT, we play a crucial role in helping others excel in their fields by mastering technology. Building strong customer service skills requires understanding roles, being aware of how we affect others, and intentionally creating positive outcomes.

TLDR: To improve IT customer service, focus on technical competence, compassion, empathy, listening, and respect. Awareness and intentionality in your actions can significantly impact service outcomes. Effective communication is key to understanding and solving user problems. Empower your IT team to approach problems with both skill and a customer-centric mindset. Continuous feedback loops from both team members and customers will drive improvement.

TLDR: What You Need to Know When Starting an IT Career Problem-solving is essential, not just technical knowledge. Communication skills, especially with non-technical people, are vital for success. Time and task management are key to managing priorities effectively. Awareness and intentionality in communication can shape positive outcomes. The Five Principles of IT Customer Service (competence, compassion, empathy, listening, and respect) are crucial for IT success.

TLDR: The Fundamentals of Troubleshooting The first rule of troubleshooting is simple: always check the basics first. Skipping fundamentals wastes time, frustrates customers, and undermines your credibility. A real-world example with a WordPress plugin shows how a hidden on/off switch created weeks of unnecessary back-and-forth. Checklists, clear communication, and modeling good habits help IT teams avoid overlooking simple fixes. Pair technical competence with compassion, empathy, listening, and respect for the best results.

TLDR: Six Tips for Dealing with a Clueless Customer or End-User A “clueless customer” is not really clueless. They may be brilliant in other fields but lost in IT. Use empathy and patience to make them feel supported, not judged. Listen actively and ask clarifying questions to understand their issue fully. Use clear language and relatable analogies without oversimplifying. Set expectations by explaining steps, timelines, and updates.

TLDR: IT teamwork is about more than dividing tasks; it’s about aligning people, communication, and intentions. Technical competence is essential, but collaboration thrives when combined with compassion, empathy, listening, and respect among team members. Awareness and intentionality are critical: know how your words and actions affect others, and choose them carefully. Teams that succeed at IT teamwork get projects done faster, reduce stress, and build credibility across the business.

TLDR: The Top 3 Ways to De-Escalate an Angry User Fix the technical problem; without that, nothing else matters. Acknowledge and empathize with their frustration to make them feel heard. Offer solutions and outline clear next steps to restore trust. Read the full-length blog just below the video. Table of contents TLDR: The Top 3 Ways to De-Escalate an Angry User…