We all have a fair share of experience when it comes to dealing with difficult and problematic people. There are times when it frustrates us so much to such an extent that we feel like pulling our hair and screaming at the top of our lungs. Yes, we have all been there.
There are times when it is becoming unbearable especially when your job— your most stable source of income is at risk. Dealing with difficult people within the workplace, be it a coworker, boss, or customer is a challenging task that requires so much patience and professionalism.
At times like this, it is important that you adjust for the common good even if you may or may not be at fault. You need additional interpersonal skills and effective ways to cope with difficult people as well as stress. The following tips will help you level up your coping mechanism and interpersonal skills to handle such situations.
1. Understand in what way does he/she affect you
Difficult people come in a variety. Some of them might attack you personally just because they feel like it. They are the type of problematic people that we would commonly refer to as “The Bully.” To be put in such a situation, you need to develop personal courage and maintain strong mental health. However, bullying should never be tolerated that’s why you have to take further actions in order to stop his/her reprehensible actions.
Set limits on what you will tolerate from the bully and if he/she exceeds it, it is best to confront the bully with his/her toxic behavior. Confronting a coworker may not be the easiest thing in the world but it is a necessary action in order to address miscommunication and problematic behavior within the workplace.
Supposing the bully still continues with such behavior despite your trying to address the issue in every way you could, you have to tell the management and HR about the bully’s behavior.
Some difficult people, on the other hand, may not be as worse as the bully but still affect your working life. Some of them like to wallow in their own negativity— they don’t like their jobs and their company, they always assume the worst in everything, and they always complain about how demanding the customers are. The best thing to do in this situation is to avoid this negative coworker’s presence at work. Instead, surround yourself with positive coworkers that will help elevate your mood amid the stress and heavy workload.
2. Develop healthy interpersonal relationships
Forming positive relationships at work is one of the first steps in succeeding in your career. Effective relationships with your boss, coworkers, and employees establish success and satisfaction in your job. Always remember that no education, experience, and title matter if you do not know how to adapt and play well with the people around you. Besides, it’s so much better to work with people you are in good terms with.
3. Deal with your difficult boss professionally
Some bosses you will work for might have anger management problems, shows favoritism toward another employee, or is flat-out incompetent. Despite these shortcomings, you still have to get your job done. No matter how unpleasant your boss’ behavior, you should never let it affect your work and personal life.
You need to stay one step ahead and do your tasks effectively and keep your responsibilities on track so that he/she doesn’t have to watch your every move. When it comes to dealing with an incompetent boss, it’s time to be your own leader and make the best decisions on your own.
4. Tackle an annoying employee behavior and issues in the kindest manner
There are instances when you can’t help but be irritated by annoying habits that a coworker does like loud gum chewing, bringing personal issues to the office, or personal hygiene problems. Such issues may affect your working spirit that’s why you need to make an effort to address them. It’s always ideal to bring it up to your coworker directly and clearly. Sending a subtle message to him/her will not guarantee that the coworker will understand your message. Be direct about the issue while taking into account his habits and experiences that perhaps shaped his/her behavior. Also, hear what he/she has to say and always be gentle with your approach.
5. Team building with coworkers
Team building is the process of turning individual employees into a cohesive team. It is a nice and smart way to develop positive coworker relationships. Moreover, such alliances are crucial when it comes to dealing with difficult coworker behavior so that you can address the problem as a group.
6. Avoid Gossip
Here’s the thing, gossip will never do you good; it can only ruin morale and spread faster than a bad cold. To avoid gossips, you may want to delve into your work so that you won’t be available to appreciate their tales. Gossipmongers want your attention and you should never give it to them. Keep your private life private and choose your friends wisely. Never trust personal information with coworkers. If they are gossiping about others, chances are they will gossip about you too.