10 Tips for Dealing With Difficult People at Work
Dealing With Difficult Coworkers, Bosses, and Friends at Work
By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide
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Difficult coworkers. In every workplace, you will have difficult coworkers. Dealing with difficult coworkers, bosses, customers, clients, and friends is an art worth perfecting. Dealing with difficult situations at work is challenging, yet rewarding. You can increase your skill at dealing with the difficult people who surround you in your work world. These tips will help you in dealing with difficult people at work.
1. Rise Above the Fray: Dealing With Difficult People at Work
Difficult
people do exist at work. Difficult people come in every variety and no
workplace is without them. How difficult a person is for you to deal
with depends on your self-esteem, your self-confidence and your
professional courage. Dealing with difficult people is easier when the
person is just generally obnoxious or when the behavior affects more
than one person. Dealing with difficult people is much tougher when they
are attacking you or undermining your professional contribution.
2. How to Deal With a Bully at Work
Think
you work with a bully? Do you regularly feel intimidated, dread to work
anywhere near a particular coworker, or you’re yelled at, insulted, and
put down? Does a coworker talk over you at meetings, criticize your
performance, or steal credit for your work? If you answer yes to these
questions, chances are good that you’re one of 54 million Americans, who
have been attacked by a bully at work. Learn about dealing with
difficult people at work.
3. How to Deal With a Negative Coworker
Some
people exude negativity. They don’t like their jobs or they don’t like
their company. Their bosses are always jerks and they are always treated
unfairly. The company is always going down the tube and customers are
worthless. You know these negative Neds and Nellies – every organization
has some. Here are tips for dealing with difficult, negative coworkers.
4. Overcome Your Fear of Confrontation and Conflict
Meaningful
confrontation is never easy but conflict is often necessary if you want
to stick up for your rights at work. Whether the confrontation is over
shared credit, irritating coworker habits and approaches, or about how
to keep a project on track, sometimes you need to hold a confrontation
with a coworker. The good news is that while confrontation is almost
never your first choice, you can become better and more comfortable with
necessary conflict. Find out how dealing with difficult conflicts at
work is easier and more positive with these steps.
5. Play Well With Others: Develop Effective Work Relationships
You
can submarine your job and career by the relationships you form at
work. No matter your education, experience, or title, if you can't play
well with others, you won't succeed. Effective relationships create
success and satisfaction on the job. Learn more about seven effective
work relationship musts. Combat dealing with difficult people with these
work relationship musts.
6. How to Hold a Difficult Conversation
Have
you encountered any of these examples of dealing with difficult people
at work? They're just samples of the types of behavior that cry out for
responsible feedback. These steps will help you hold difficult
conversations when people need professional feedback. Dealing with a
difficult conversation can have positive outcomes.
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7. What Coworker Behavior Drives You Crazy?
Most
people have pet peeves about their coworkers. And, why not? Even
relatively sane and likeable people do things that can drive their
coworkers to distraction. Vote in my poll about what coworker behavior
drives you crazy. Share your tips for dealing with difficult coworkers.
Or, share your coworker's behavior that lights your fuse.
8. Dealing With Difficult Bosses
Nothing
is more destructive in the workplace than difficult bosses. Every
employee has a series of bosses over their working career. Hopefully,
most of your bosses are competent, kind, and even, worthy of your trust
and respect. Unfortunately, too often, employees have difficult bosses
who impact their desire to engage and contribute at work. Learn how
dealing with difficult bosses is a skill you can develop.
9. Team Building With Coworkers
You
want to be well known and liked among the people the company regards as
super stars, allies who have power and will speak up for you. (In fact,
you can achieve job security if you are viewed as a super star.) Building alliances at work
is smart, effective for developing positive coworker relationships, and
crucial for dealing with difficult or destructive coworker behavior in
the workplace.
10. How to Manage Gossip
Gossip
is rampant in most workplaces. Sometimes, it seems as if people have
nothing better to do than gossip about each other. They gossip about the
company, their coworkers, and their managers. They frequently take a
partial truth and turn it into a whole speculative truth. Dealing with
difficult situations involving gossip occurs in every workplace. Find
out how dealing with difficult gossip is a must-do and a can-do.
Obliterate gossip from your work place.










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