We’ve all been there, a boss or colleague that we just don’t seem to be able to get on with.
It can be a really stressful situation to be in and you can often feel powerless and unable to fix the problem, but often understanding how to communicate better and use communication strategies to deal with difficult people at work can really help the working relationship. A certain amount of conflict is healthy in the workplace and can drive more productivity, but there comes a point where it will damage working relationships, and create a bad atmosphere and working environment. Here are our top 5 tips for dealing with difficult people in the workplace: Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) can be a very helpful alternative to solving problems with different and sometimes clashing personalities in the workplace. NLP can help you to learn new communication techniques for all different types of personalities that you may find challenging.Above all things, you need to keep calm in stressful situations. Screaming and shouting at someone, or looking like you’re throwing a tantrum won’t impress the boss, or any of your colleagues. If you feel as though you’re about to blow your fuse, take a short break, remove yourself from the situation and do something totally different – perhaps a minute of fresh air or taking the time to make a cup of tea will be enough to calm you down and remove you from a potentially explosive situation. Above all things, you need to keep calm in stressful situations. Screaming and shouting at someone, or looking like you’re throwing a tantrum won’t impress the boss, or any of your colleagues. If you feel as though you’re about to blow your fuse, take a short break, remove yourself from the situation and do something totally different – perhaps a minute of fresh air or taking the time to make a cup of tea will be enough to calm you down and remove you from a potentially explosive situation. Mediation can be a possible way to resolve conflict in the workplace. It won’t suit everyone and many people shy away from mediation as they don’t want to make a ‘big deal’ out of the situation, or feel they can handle it on their own. Sometimes, though, mediation can be a great way to resolve the conflict with the help of a neutral party, and a way to move on from the problem. Don’t take it personally. Whatever the problem with your colleague, remember not to take it personally. This can be easier said than done and it can be all too easy to let negativity take over and feel the other person is attacking you personally, but chances are this isn’t true at all and it could be a combination of stresses from work and home life that are making them act this way.If all else fails, why not try avoiding the person wherever possible. This might not always be easy or practical, but getting on with your own tasks and workload, and ignoring the troublesome person unless your work really requires communicating with them is sometimes the easiest way to deal with it. Although it isn’t necessarily going to be a long-term solution, it may help to distance yourself from the problematic person, which will alleviate stress and reduce the risk of arguments or tension in the workplace. If all else fails, why not try avoiding the person wherever possible. This might not always be easy or practical, but getting on with your own tasks and workload, and ignoring the troublesome person unless your work really requires communicating with them is sometimes the easiest way to deal with it. Although it isn’t necessarily going to be a long-term solution, it may help to distance yourself from the problematic person, which will alleviate stress and reduce the risk of arguments or tension in the workplace. A good source for useful information on types of conflict and conflict resolutions in the workplace can be found here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorBen Colins is a career coach, writer on business topics, blogger and resume writer at Craftresumes. He is also a Bacon evangelist. Pop cultureaholic. Incurable social media guru. ArchivesCategories |