How to Deal With Difficult People in the Workplace
Recognize the different types of complicated coworkers., Use humor., Confront your coworker in private., Choose your battles carefully.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize the different types of complicated coworkers.
There are a range of difficult people you can encounter in your workplace.
Examples of difficult coworkers include one that is hostile, the constant complainer, the staller, the know-it all and the overly agreeable coworker.The hostile coworker may appear angry or often express a feeling of being wronged.
The best way to deal with this type of coworker is to not meet anger with anger.
He or she often just needs to be heard and appreciated to alleviate some of their discomfort.
A coworker who constantly complains can add undue stress to the entire work environment.
When you meet these people, actively listening to their concerns and then offer to help them solve the problem.
The staller is that coworker who often puts off making a commitment or taking action for fear of being wrong or upsetting others.
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 make the choice or to take action.
A know-it-all can come in two forms, someone who truly knows his stuff, but makes sure everyone else knows he’s the “expert.” Then, there is the one that just thinks she knows it all in order to assert an opinion about everything.
For the true experts, taking the time to ask questions gives them a chance to flex their power and will usually help them to tone down their overall negative attitude towards others.
Those coworkers who don’t know as much as they think they do will usually tone it down if they are quietly confronted one-on-one with the true level of their knowledge.
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, regardless of their opinions will help them gain confidence. -
Step 2: Use humor.
Defusing any uncomfortable situation with humor can be a very 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 to redirect the focus of the moment.When using humor you need to make sure it is appropriate humor, avoid anything that could be hurtful or taunting in nature.
Humor is a great way to separate the negative behavior from the person, even if you don’t agree with the behavior you still like and can laugh with the person. , While it is not reasonable to confront a coworker who may become violent, you may be able to directly address issues by confronting other types of difficult coworkers in private.
Pulling the know-it-all who really doesn’t know that much aside and having a friendly conversation can reshape the working relationship without embarrassing him in front of others.
Effective confronting is done in a private and respectful way.For example, you might say “Excuse me, Robbie.
I realize you might have a lot of knowledge about the subject we are discussing, but can we keep out fact-sharing on a need-to-know basis? Or, it may be good if you could send us a summary of all you know about the topic and let us review it on our own time”. , Watch out for difficult people on your job.
Often, the best way of dealing with them is to avoid them altogether if possible.
However, if for any reason, you find it is not possible to do so, you need to assess your situation and your options taking into account your priorities at the time.
For example, you have a colleague who is a control freak but the job is absolutely essential to you then, you may have to find other ways of dealing with him/her while you buy time looking for another job or to change in your circumstances.
Picking your battles will help you to avoid unneeded stress and to not take the problems of your coworkers on as your own. -
Step 3: Confront your coworker in private.
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Step 4: Choose your battles carefully.
Detailed Guide
There are a range of difficult people you can encounter in your workplace.
Examples of difficult coworkers include one that is hostile, the constant complainer, the staller, the know-it all and the overly agreeable coworker.The hostile coworker may appear angry or often express a feeling of being wronged.
The best way to deal with this type of coworker is to not meet anger with anger.
He or she often just needs to be heard and appreciated to alleviate some of their discomfort.
A coworker who constantly complains can add undue stress to the entire work environment.
When you meet these people, actively listening to their concerns and then offer to help them solve the problem.
The staller is that coworker who often puts off making a commitment or taking action for fear of being wrong or upsetting others.
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 make the choice or to take action.
A know-it-all can come in two forms, someone who truly knows his stuff, but makes sure everyone else knows he’s the “expert.” Then, there is the one that just thinks she knows it all in order to assert an opinion about everything.
For the true experts, taking the time to ask questions gives them a chance to flex their power and will usually help them to tone down their overall negative attitude towards others.
Those coworkers who don’t know as much as they think they do will usually tone it down if they are quietly confronted one-on-one with the true level of their knowledge.
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, regardless of their opinions will help them gain confidence.
Defusing any uncomfortable situation with humor can be a very 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 to redirect the focus of the moment.When using humor you need to make sure it is appropriate humor, avoid anything that could be hurtful or taunting in nature.
Humor is a great way to separate the negative behavior from the person, even if you don’t agree with the behavior you still like and can laugh with the person. , While it is not reasonable to confront a coworker who may become violent, you may be able to directly address issues by confronting other types of difficult coworkers in private.
Pulling the know-it-all who really doesn’t know that much aside and having a friendly conversation can reshape the working relationship without embarrassing him in front of others.
Effective confronting is done in a private and respectful way.For example, you might say “Excuse me, Robbie.
I realize you might have a lot of knowledge about the subject we are discussing, but can we keep out fact-sharing on a need-to-know basis? Or, it may be good if you could send us a summary of all you know about the topic and let us review it on our own time”. , Watch out for difficult people on your job.
Often, the best way of dealing with them is to avoid them altogether if possible.
However, if for any reason, you find it is not possible to do so, you need to assess your situation and your options taking into account your priorities at the time.
For example, you have a colleague who is a control freak but the job is absolutely essential to you then, you may have to find other ways of dealing with him/her while you buy time looking for another job or to change in your circumstances.
Picking your battles will help you to avoid unneeded stress and to not take the problems of your coworkers on as your own.
About the Author
Joyce Wilson
A passionate writer with expertise in crafts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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