Someone very close once said to me “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” this has stuck with me since then.
Working in any work place means having to deal with different kinds of personalities and we are talking about 8 hours a day, 5 days per week (40 hours per week) Yikes. That’s a very long time and getting along with everyone can be challenging not to mention exhausting. Having conflict at work can lead to slower productivity, a tense office environment, increased sick leave, missed deadlines just to name a few. This article outlines some of the different personalities you could find in your workplace and how to deal with them.
Some Common Problem Personalities in the Workplace:
The Egomaniac
These people resist direction, they think they always know what is best and they ignore even the nicest of advice or suggestion. I am sure you have met these people before. Not only do they think they do not need to improve, they think everyone should consider themselves lucky to work with them.
How to Deal:
- Check your own ego at the door; having a head to head with them is usually not worth the time and energy.
- Be assertive: don’t let a bully win.
- Distance yourself: deal with them in small amounts then walk away.
The Gossiper
It can be hard to deal with gossiping co-workers, as you can’t really control what people talk about. But gossip is bad for the work environment; it leads to distrust and hurt feelings. Once trust is broken in a workplace, it’s very hard to rebuild.
How to Deal:
- If someone comes to you with a juicy bit of info, don’t bite. Lead by example.
- Deal with the specific offenders, not the entire office as a whole.
The Grumpy Pants
Hearing someone complain day in and day out is exhausting for everyone or how about the opposite they go quiet and give everyone the silent treatment and you feel like you are walking on egg shells all day. This can crush office morale.
How to Deal:
- Provide constructive suggestions to their specific complaints. If they are complaining about something in particular, say, “well, we can solve that by…”
- Confront them in private to have a discussion about their attitude. Maybe they truly don’t realize they complain so much, or how much it affects everyone else in the office.
Whatever the different personalities that work with you, there are always going to be people that don’t get along or individuals that are much harder for everyone to deal with that’s life. But arming yourself with some of these strategies, hopefully dealing with any difficult coworkers will become slightly less challenging than before.