6 Ways to Deal with a Difficult Co-Worker
Haven’t we all been there? Having to work with a toxic co-worker that criticizes you and takes credit for your hard work, dimming your motivation to go to work every day. It can be pretty stressful to work in an unpleasant work environment, surrounded by a person who tries to sabotage you. What’s even more challenging is learning how to manage your anger and the situation in the office. After all, lashing out at your co-worker is never the appropriate solution to get rid of such negativity.
Well, if you feel like you’re stuck in such a situation, here are a few ways you can handle a difficult co-worker.
Recognize the Problem
The ideal way to deal with a problem is recognizing that there is one. Try to figure out the reason behind the strained relationship between you and your co-worker. Is the problem a com-bination of your and their behaviour, or is it solely their negative attitude? If you begin to feel like your co-worker is toxic or negative, you need to start recognizing who they are and what conditions often set off their unwelcomed behaviour.
Always be Prepared
Does your difficult co-worker begin to act problematically when you’re working together on projects or during meetings? Notice the situations in which such issues arise and mentally prepare yourself beforehand. This will help stop you from acting out on your emotions or having a sudden outburst in front of everyone. While you may not be able to control your co-worker’s behaviour; you can control your emotions.
Voice Your Thoughts
If your problematic co-worker makes you feel uncomfortable at work, don’t be afraid to confront them. It is perfectly alright to voice your thoughts, especially if it is impacting your mental health. Pay attention to the words and phrases you use when sharing with your co-worker about how they are making you feel. Using “I” in your sentences can help them better understand your perspective. For instance, instead of saying ‘You don’t talk to me properly,’ you should say ‘I get upset by the way you talk to me.’
Get to Know Their Perspective
As you grow older, you will realize that some people are the way they are. So, getting to know your difficult co-workers’ perspective might make it a little easier to get along with them. Once you get to know them better, it will be much easier to understand how their background and life experience shaped their behaviour. While their history or backstory doesn’t justify their behaviour; it will help you understand the way they see things.
Be the Better Person
It can be hard to be the bigger person, but it is necessary to do so at work. Even though it is difficult to maintain good relations with your troublesome co-workers, sometimes you just have to put up with it to preserve proper decorum in the office. You don’t want to be known as the co-worker who freaks out or gets up at work.
Involve a Third Party
If things seem to get out of hand and talking out doesn’t help, then involving a third party, such as your manager, can be a good step. Your manager might be able to reason with your co-worker to diffuse the situation and encourage amicable collaboration, or they might move your work desk to another area of the building.
The Bottom Line
Learning to cope with difficult workplace situations, such as managing a toxic co-worker is important if you want to be happy and comfortable at your workplace. If a co-worker is making it difficult for you to perform well, try out the ways mentioned above to sort.