Annoying people are everywhere, but there’s one you can’t escape from the co-worker from hell. They are condescending, confrontational and makes your blood boil. But if you would like to thrive at work, handling difficult co-workers are often a part of the work. Here’s how to handle the situation.
Work stress comes altogether forms, from navigating office politics to meeting too-tight deadlines. But when you’re handling difficult co-workers, your daily frustrations can build up fast. There’s no escaping the people you spend 40 hours every week with unless you’re willing to vary jobs or attempt to sabotage theirs. And conflicts at work are unhealthy to your body also as your career.
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Fortunately, there are ways of getting around the situation. You can learn to defend yourself against negative emotions or unreasonable demands. Or you'll attempt to alter things you’d be surprised what proportion you can do to vary a difficult co-worker into a manageable, and maybe even likable, one.
Don’t waste precious energy fighting with someone you can’t stand. Instead, practice these 5 tips to form it through your workday in spite of the co-worker from hell
Be prepared for conflict
The best thanks to leaving a drag are to ascertain it coming before it invades your cubicle.
If you've got to deal regularly with an argumentative co-worker, plan beforehand how you’re getting to handle things. When you’re unprepared, you’re likely to react instinctively to your anger and annoyance with impulsive behavior that accomplishes nothing. This may only achieve making a nasty situation worse. Sometimes it helps to practice a debate before it happens. Stage a possible conflict in your mind and run through the varied scenarios.
First, allow yourself to act immature, and hear how foolish you sound.
Does name-calling and bashing the co-worker’s performance cause you to the higher person? No.
Next, play the part of the professional. Rather than having a witty comeback to their every snide remark, act sort of a grown-up and aim to resolve the conflict. And learn these dos and don’ts of debate.
• Don’t allow yourself to urge trapped within the situation.
• Do uphold your morals and values.
• Don’t be arrogant.
• Do be self-confident.
• Don’t be overly stubborn.
• Do be willing to compromise.
Don’t let her get under your skin.
• Do recognize cheap shots for what they are: an effort to urge you to sink to her level.
Don’t fuel the fire.
You’re getting to be tempted to retaliate to attack at a hostile co-worker with equally low blows. This is often the worst thing you'll do. People that instigate confrontation and cause tension also thrive on controversy. Any exchange of negative words fuels their malice and makes them feel powerful. And if you patronize their level, you’re opening the door for them to form you appear as if the person.
Instead, use the oldest trick within the book: Kill ’em with kindness. Be calm, unflappable and utterly polite. This is often the last word ammunition for fighting off irrational people. They’re going to either find yourself too frustrated or too bored, eventually becoming weary of engaging in debate with you. Once they backtrack, you'll specialize in what you get paid to try to, work.
Lend a hand.
Sometimes a difficult person is just a troubled soul trying to find an ally. Unfortunately, this co-worker finishes up making enemies rather than friends because they don’t have the required social skills. Or they'll be bullying others as a shield to guard what’s vulnerable and fragile inside.
Negative behavior is usually the hallmark of an individual who’s handling an entire not quite they disclose. Maybe it’s money problems, marital issues, health concerns, or all of the above. If their home life is barely in check, how are they getting to be ready to handle the pressures of work?
They may not be justified in their bad attitude, but they may be handling issues that are simply beyond your reach. Break down that barrier and you'll find someone who could use a lover. And once you’ve crossed enemy lines and become comrades, this person may become conscious of her downfalls and appearance to you for advice.
If the co-worker is unstable, you’ll still get to protect yourself. Don’t share confidences or put yourself during a position where you've got to depend upon them. But by maintaining a pleasing relationship, you’ll decrease the prospect of future conflicts.
Get a third party involved.
No matter how competent and wonderful an individual you’re, you only can’t win everyone over. If a difficult co-worker isn’t receptive to your attempts at defusing things, enlist a neutral third-party to assist navigate the choppy waters. They will act as a sounding board for both parties’ frustrations and work with you to seek out footing. This might be another co-worker, a supervisor or your human resources representative. You recognize best how your workplace operates – don’t attend someone if their knowledge of the matter could Negative behaviour is usually the hallmark of an individual who’s handling an entire not quite they disclose. Maybe it’s money problems, marital issues, health concerns, or all of the above. If their home life is barely in check, how are they getting to be ready to handle the pressures of work?
They may not be justified in their bad attitude, but they may be handling issues that are simply beyond your reach. Break down that barrier and you'll find someone who could use a lover. And once you’ve crossed enemy lines and become comrades, this person may become conscious of her downfalls and appearance to you for advice.
If the co-worker is unstable, you’ll still get to protect yourself. Don’t share confidences or put yourself during a position where you've got to depend upon them. But by maintaining a pleasing relationship, you’ll decrease the prospect of future conflicts.
Move on.
You tried to make nice, and it just didn’t work. There comes a point where you have to admit that the situation just can’t be resolved.
If you can honestly say you gave it your best shot and you’re still stuck with a disruptive co-worker, it’s not worth the stress to work day in and day out in a combative environment.
So whether it’s them or you who move on, somebody needs to be removed from the situation. This is especially true if your work is suffering because of this person.
You have four possible options: Move to a different department, request that they are moved to a different department, find a new job, or let it go (if you have that kind of power over the situation). Sometimes difficult people make it tough for everyone, not just you which reduces productivity across the board. In a well-run company, that’s plenty of reason for dismissal.
Remember, you shouldn’t ignore a bad co-worker relationship it’s not likely to go away on its own. There’s no point in giving someone the power to determine whether you’re going to have a good or a bad day at work.
Do You Fight Fair?
No relationship is perfect, and at some point, you're going to have a confrontation with a co-worker, neighbor or someone you love. Disagreements can be a way to respectfully voice your opinion and carefully consider the other person's thoughts – or they can be an all-out, name-calling fiasco. Is your fighting style fair, or do your quarrels need a referee?
Sibanda Tinotenda is a Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt.) Ltd, a management and human resources consulting firm.
Phone +263 4 481946-48/481950 or email: tinotendas@ipcconsultants.com or visit our website at www.ipcconsultants.com