From a negative co-worker to a bully, a whiner to gossiper, and an overly competitive person, crossing paths with difficult people at almost any workplace is inevitable.
Doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned employee or new to work, if you happen to chance upon co-workers who are difficult to deal with, learn to work alongside them. Take silent measures concerning someone who plays devil’s advocate and is nasty in their approaches to help make your life easier on the job.
Become better at dealing with difficult co-workers trying to sabotage you. Consider these tips:
#1 Learn to say ‘No’ to the Work Shirker:
Ever heard of the term couch-potato, or lazybones? Well some of us are unfortunate to be dealing with a co-worker with least work ethics. Couch potatoes are the work shirkers who would always be on the lookout for opportunities to grunt work off their plates. If you are dealing with a colleague that doesn’t hesitate to try to push their entire workload on you or others, take it easy.
You can clearly say ‘no’ to their requests unless it’s coming through your supervisor. What are you scared of after all when you are finishing your share of tasks for the day?
#2 Never Stoop Down to the level of The Bully and Trouble-Maker:
Unfortunately, bullying doesn’t end after school or college, it continues forever. You are more likely to bump into the bullies and trouble-makers at your workplace if you are a hardworking employee and receive appreciations more often. Office bullies, to say the least, are downright nasty.
They love picking on people who they think could be a threat to their reputation at work. Ignoring them completely or limiting your chats with them over emails or in front of the HR or your supervisor is the best way to keep them at bay. Remember, an office bully scares being getting involved in confrontational conversations.
#3 Question the Complainer:
Not finding a whiner or complainer at a workplace is out of the question. Also, complaining turns into a habit for such people who tend to see only the negative side of things. Why do they whine or act like a victim is because they want others to solve the problems for them, or simply to seek attention.
This complaining attitude is moreover, harmful to the team’s morale. When you happen to surface their nagging, all you need to do is question their credibility, and ask them to find a solution themselves. An outright refusal to paying heed to their talks is needed to deal with a whiner.
#4 Do not let the Dream Crusher grow on you:
Have you ever chanced upon a colleague who is never happy with your ideas and has sarcasm ready whenever you suggest an idea? Those people who tend to see the worst aspects of prospects are called dream crushers with sarcasm being their mother tongue. You can’t change the nature of people but you can certainly not let them grow on you. Politely talking to them and requesting them to elaborate on what they think could be the loop-holes can help keep your spirits high. Do not give in to the dream crushers. Instead, ask them to reason their scornful comments.
#5 Avoid giving the Gossiper a chance to have juicy stories to share:
“How, according to you, was Sahil’s presentation?” Or, “do you think our supervisor has an inclination towards this girl?” If any of your co-workers come to you and tries to whisper in your ears to know your opinions on someone, there’s something fishy going on. The gossipers like to indulge in intense conversations with others and then divulge the information if they find it juicy enough. And this may lead to undermining your status. What you should do? You should just avoid engaging in conversations with such people or politely turn them down if you are asked to give your opinions. Getting sucked into gossips can have major ramifications, so avoid them completely.
The Way Forward
To say the least, even the managers find it tough to effectively deal with difficult employees. Such people mostly fail to conduct themselves in a professional or responsible manner. If you have been made to team up with a problematic co-worker, he/she can be among one of your greatest challenges. Dealing with a difficult co-worker could be debilitating, but it isn’t impossible. You can’t get rid of this person but you can certainly lessen the pain. Practice the above mentioned tips and come away happy!