Summary
There will likely be times in your professional career where you have to work with someone you simply don’t mesh with. If this situation ever arises, here are a few tips you can use to deal with difficult coworkers.
There will likely be times in your professional career where you have to work with someone you simply don’t mesh with. If this situation ever arises, here are a few tips you can use to deal with difficult coworkers.
Communicate the Issues
Effective communication can help solve a large number of problems. It’s important for both you and your coworker to be able to talk through issues. You need to communicate any problems you’re having in order to feel heard. Your coworker needs you to bring up issues because they might not be aware of the way their behavior is affecting you. This is why it’s so important to address rather than ignore issues. Don’t let things fester. Big or small, if it’s bothering you, you should let your coworker know.
Avoid Unprofessional Behavior
While it might be extremely tempting to ‘clap back’ at a difficult co-worker, it’s important to resist the urge. Don’t take things personally. Their negativity has everything to do with them and nothing to do with you. Also, keep in mind that arguments, tension, rivalries and gossiping are unhealthy behaviors that will only make your work environment a toxic place to be. It will negatively affect everyone around you. Avoid that by remaining professional.
What is there to Gain?
Before you lose your cool, ask yourself what there is to gain by working with your difficult coworker. Is there something this person can teach you? Will it help your career to collaborate with them? Will you be able to leverage the collaboration to your benefit? If there will be positive repercussions to working with this person, it might be in your best interest to stick things out. Even if the end result doesn’t do much for your career, you’ll be able to tell future employers how you can work well with anyone. That’s a valuable skill!
Self- Reflect
Before you place all the responsibility on your coworkers, make sure you take time to reflect on your own behavior. An article written for kellyservices.us states, “In many cases, we form a dislike for people because they remind us of people who have hurt us in the past, like a bossy sibling or a disapproving neighbor. If this is the case, you need to acknowledge it, and then keep reminding yourself this colleague is an entirely different person.”
Ask for Help
There will be times where you won’t be able to solve the problem on your own. You might need to take the issue to your manager and ask for additional assistance. Only do this when you feel like you’ve exhausted every other option available to you in terms of conflict resolution.
Dealing with difficult coworkers is an inevitable part of working. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re having trouble working with someone you simply don’t mesh with, use these tips in order to make your working relationship better.
