Difficult Co-Workers - Some Coping Strategies
Difficult Co-Workers
Some Coping Strategies You always got along perfectly well with your college buddies. In fact, you were one of the most popular people in your dorm. So why is it that, no matter what you do, you can’t seems to get along with the administrative manager two cubes down form your? Why does every interaction turn into a tension-filled disaster? Welcome to the real world. Here’s the bad news: Through the rest of your work life you will meet difficult people, and you’ll have to find some way to get along with them. It’s not a matter of if you will run into these people; it’s a matter of when.
In a perfect world, we would be able to avoid these people forever. If we didn’t like a co-worker or if they were a pain to deal with, we could just ignore them. Unfortunately, in this era of teamwork, that’s just not possible. So the sooner you learn how to deal with difficult people, the better. Strictly Business The less personal interaction the better. This will limit your opportunity for conflict. Stay focused on the task at-hand and interact only when necessary. Make sure you have gathered all the necessary information before contacting this person. This way your involvement with your co-worker will be limited. When possible, use more distant channels of communication such as e-mail to avoid personality clashes. After all, isn’t that why it was invented? Be Polite You may not like this person, but be polite. There is no point in antagonizing this person, since you still have to interact on a daily basis. As difficult as it may seem, treat them with dignity and respect. Keep Your Opinions To Yourself You are probably assuming that if this person is so difficult to work with that everyone else knows it. Don’t make the mistake of complaining to another co-worker about this person. She and this person may have a great working relationship and you will be the odd man out. Involve Your Boss As A Last Resort If you are really having a difficult time getting your job done because of your interactions with your co-worker, approach your boss about the situation. Perhaps he has some suggestions on how to make things work. Make this your last resort, since bosses rarely like to get involved in situations like these. Make Lemonade Out of Lemons Leadership requires being skillful at working with people in all different types of situations. Look at this as an opportunity to practice for your future role as a manager. If you are able to turn your relationship around with this person, others will surely notice. Perhaps you will be looked at as management material and you will be the one that someone approaches for advice on handling a difficult co-worker. So when it’s your turn to deal with a difficult co-worker, don’t run the other way. Tuck these tips away and pull them out when you need them…and you will need them sometime in your work life.
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