We’ve all had to work with people we can’t stand. Maybe it was a person who laughs out loud at the most inappropriate moments. Or someone who constantly steals other people’s ideas and gets undeserved praise from their bosses.
Sometimes completely different characters can get in the way of working together: someone who is active and quick, and someone who is slow and clumsy. Sometimes the reason for the dislike cannot be explained, for example when colleagues from different departments are working on a joint project and simply do not understand each other. Of course, this not only affects the process, but also the result.
Four difficult character traits often stand in the way of building normal working relationships: selfishness, conflict, rudeness and irresponsibility. Fortunately, you can find your own approach to each of these traits.
How to work with an egotist
As a rule, egoists cannot be described as friendly and pleasant people; on the contrary, they think exclusively of themselves. In the worst cases, this goes hand in hand with toxic behavior and even narcissism.
Psychology professor Art Markman states that narcissistic behavior is particularly harmful to the work environment, but it is important to recognize the difference between a self-confident person and a narcissist. Narcissists differ in that they don’t appreciate the good ideas of others and tend to exaggerate their own importance.
If you are a supervisor, you should try to address such behavior immediately and directly. If you see an employee “going overboard”, let them know that such behavior is unacceptable.
If your colleague is selfish, take the same approach. It is better to put a stop to such behavior immediately and make it clear that you will not tolerate such behavior in your company.
How to work with a conflict lover
Interpersonal drama should never become part of the work process. But it’s hard to explain that to those who are unhappy with every little thing and love to fight conflict in an empty space.
According to Stefan Dilhert, assistant professor of management, conflicts can be good. Or at least those that don’t harm the corporate culture. It depends on the intention. Constructive disagreements move the company forward, while conflict for the sake of conflict or energy vampirism only drains energy. Unfortunately, those who love arguments and bickering choose the second option.
If you are the boss, try to assign independent tasks to such subordinates, because working in tandem can lead to new conflicts. It is also important to create and maintain an atmosphere of mutual help and support in the team.
If you have to deal with such a colleague, do not accept their rules of the game and do not get involved in a conflict. Respond to any comments that have nothing to do with work with a single word and steer the topic back to work. Over time, such a person will realize that they are not getting the desired response from you and will look for another “victim”.
How to work with a rude person
This is not necessarily the person who constantly makes unpleasant remarks. In a professional team, this is more likely to be someone who doesn’t like working in a team, constantly criticizes everything and everyone, and very rarely compromises.
