HOW TO DEAL WITH D IFF ICULT COWORKERS

BY GEOFFREY BYRUCH

AT SOME STAGE OF YOUR CAREER, YOU WILL MORE THAN L IKELY RUN INTO A CO-WORKER OR MANAGER THAT YOU

WILL NOT EXACTLY SEE EYE -TO -EYE WITH.

AS FRUSTRATING AS IT MAY BE , IT IS ABSOLUTELY V ITAL THAT YOU KEEP CALM AND RELAX ABOUT THE OVERALL S ITUATION.

NOTHING MORE CAN BE DONE TO EXACERBATE A TENSE RELATIONSHIP, BUT THERE ARE A FEW TECHNIQUES YOU CAN UTIL IZE TO HELP ALLEVIATE OR D IFFUSE D IFF ICULT C IRCUMSTANCES IN THE MOST AMICABLE WAY POSSIBLE .

TO START, MANY TENSE S ITUATIONS ARISE BECAUSE THERE IS A MISCOMMUNICATION

BETWEEN YOU AND THE OTHER PERSON.

I HAVE SEEN THESE COUNTLESS T IMES WHERE A COWORKER AND I COULD NOT AGREE UPON VARIOUS

DECIS IONS FOR A SPECIF IC PROJECT.

WHILE PERSONALITY DOES PLAY A LARGE ROLE WITHIN THESE PARTICULAR S ITUATIONS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU OVERCOME YOUR PRIDE AND EGO AND UNDERSTAND THEIR PERSPECTIVE AND

MINDSET ON THE MATTER.

START BY PROACTIVELY L ISTENING .

ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THAT, OPEN UP A D ISCUSSION ON EXPECTATIONS AND STRATEGY.

THIS TYPE OF OPENED D ISCUSSION CAN HELP CLARIFY WHAT YOU AND YOUR COWORKERS CAN DO ON A DAY-TO -DAY

BASIS .

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BE SURE TO TAKE RESPONSIB IL ITY FOR ANY TYPE OF MISCOMMUNICATION THAT WAS YOUR

OWN FAULT.

I F YOU F IND THAT THE ANIMOSITY IS NOT BASED ON MISCOMMUNICATION, BUT PERSONALITY, THEN IT MAY BE YOUR BEST BET TO TRY AND

AVOID THAT PERSON WITHIN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY.

NOW I KNOW WHAT MANY OF YOU ARE THINKING: ‘WE WORK ON A TEAM’ OR ‘ I HAVE TO WORK WITH THIS PERSON D IRECTLY. ’

AS D IFF ICULT AS IT MAY SEEM, THERE IS ALWAYS WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN EASILY AVOID THE S ITUATION SUCH AS

PLANNING YOUR DAY AROUND THEM.

I F YOU F IND THIS TO BE TOO TAXING , YOU COULD POSSIBLE BRING YOUR PROBLEM UP TO A MANAGER OR SOMEONE IN HUMAN

RESOURCES TO HELP F IND YOU THAT MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT.

NOW THE LAST B IT OF ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IS FOR YOU TO CHANGE

YOUR PERSONALITY.

UNLESS YOU ARE COMPLETELY A WARE OF WHAT YOU SAY AND HOW YOU ACT EVERYDAY, YOU ARE MORE THAN L IKELY

OVERLOOK YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR.

TO HELP WITH THIS , START BY TREATING PEOPLE WITH RESPECT.

EVEN IF YOUR ASSOCIATE ISN ’T IN THE SAME F IELD OR JOB DESCRIPTION AS YOU, HAVING THAT LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS

CAN EARN YOU MORE ADMIRATION THAN STRESS .

TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE V IS IT THE FOLLOWING S ITES

G E O F F R E Y B Y R U C H E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

G E O F F R E Y B Y R U C H C A R E E R

G E O F F R E Y B Y R U C H A B O U T. M E

G E O F F R E Y B Y R U C H P E R S O N A L