People who make going to work all the more difficult are likely to be difficult people who choose a career path.Learning to work alongside them, or finding ways to be civil while maintaining your distance, will give you the best chance of dealing with difficult coworkers.Some suggestions can help you.
Step 1: There are different kinds of coworkers.
Difficult people can be found in your workplace.The staller, the know-it-all, and the overly agreeable coworker are some of the difficult coworkers.The hostile coworker may be angry or upset.If you don't meet anger with anger, you will be able to deal with this type of coworker.He or she needs to be heard and appreciated to alleviate some of their pain.Stress can be added to the work environment by a coworker who constantly complains.When you meet these people, listen to their concerns and offer to help them solve the problem.A staller is a coworker who puts off making a commitment or taking action for fear of being wrong.The best way to deal with the staller is to get to the root of the fear and figure out what information is needed to take action.There are two types of know-it-all, someone who knows his stuff, but makes sure everyone else knows he's the expert, and the one that just thinks she knows it all.Taking the time to ask questions will allow the true experts to flex their power and help them to tone down their negative attitude towards others.If they are confronted one-on-one with the true level of their knowledge, coworkers who don't know as much will usually tone it down.Overly agreeable coworkers can become an issue at work because they will often agree with whatever is said in the moment, but later on voice their true feelings or just not follow through with commitments.Making sure this coworker knows they are a valued part of the team will help them gain confidence.
Step 2: Use humor to make people laugh.
humor can be a good defense mechanism.Sometimes the best way to deal with an uncomfortable situation is to use appropriate humor or even make a joke at your own expense.If you are using humor, make sure it is appropriate and not offensive.Even if you don't agree with the behavior the person is doing, you can still laugh at it.
Step 3: Speak to your coworker in private.
You may be able to directly address issues by confronting difficult coworkers in private, even if it is not reasonable to confront a coworker who may become violent.Pulling the know-it-all who really doesn't know that much aside and having a friendly conversation can change the working relationship.In a private and respectful way, effective confronting can be done.You could say, "Excuse me, Robbie."Can we keep out fact-sharing on a need-to-know basis if we have a lot of knowledge about the subject?If you could send us a summary of what you know about the topic, we could review it on our own time.
Step 4: Make sure you choose your battles carefully.
There are difficult people on your job.If possible, avoid them altogether.If it is not possible to do so, you need to assess your situation and your options, taking into account your priorities at the time.If you have a colleague who is a control freak but the job is essential to you, you may have to find other ways of dealing with him or her.Picking your battles will help you to avoid stress and not take the problems of your coworkers on as your own.
Step 5: Take care of yourselves.
A difficult coworker can have a negative impact on you.It's your responsibility to look after yourself and not give in to his or her tactics.Taking the step to separate the behavior from the person in the office can help you deal with the stress of it.You can't take the behavior personally because it's not about you, but something going on with your coworker.
Step 6: Keep a supportive network.
Spending time with positive people who support you can be helpful when working with difficult people.You can talk in and out of work if you have someone with you.Give yourself time to calm down.When dealing with conflict, following a 24 hour rule can be helpful.Giving yourself time to step away and get support is what this means.
Step 7: Establish a relationship with the human resources department.
Sometimes you need to involve human resources.Threats of violence or a hostile work environment are included.Special employees on human resources teams can address your employee relations concerns in a professional and serious manner.
Step 8: Know your rights against harassment.
You have the right to be free of harassment at work.There are legal ways to end a hostile work environment if things get to the extreme.
Step 9: Understand how tense employee relationships are handled at work.
In extreme cases, getting to know how the human resources team works can help.A formal grievance or complaint process is included in most work places' written policies for human resources.
Step 10: Request a change of location.
It can be as simple as moving your desk away from the person you have a problem with or changing departments to avoid working with them.If the problem gets worse, you may want to look for a new job or take the issue to your boss.
Step 11: If things get out of hand, go to a superior.
It's important that you follow the natural chain of command and don't overstep your supervisor if you have an issue with them.Bosses are willing to address problems when there is harassment on the job.Ask your boss about the problem.If you start by saying "I am having a problem with...", then explain what you have done to try to resolve the issue, you will have a better chance of getting your boss's attention.