How to Work with Difficult People in a Workplace
Working well with others is one of the most challenging task of employers and employees in any organisation. It determines the growth and failure of any company. It also affects the achievement of organizational goals. It can be considered of greater importance than the equipment and tools for operation. Without a good working relationship, our technology and equipment in the offices will be useless. The size of the company or business you work for really doesn’t matter. The rules are basically the same if you work with one other person or 1,000. Each individual deserves the same level of consideration. It is necessary to develop skills on how to work with difficult people.
In every job requirement, one will always notice the requirement: “must work well with others” in the job description. No employers wants to hire an individual who will distort the peaceful co-existence in his company and bring chaos. They know that any mistake done in this area could be very devastating to the growth and success of the organization.
Defining Others
In this case, “others” can be defined as everyone you come into contact with while on the job. Obviously, the answer is going to be different for everyone. However, it can include the boss, your co-workers, the customers or clients you interact with, any vendors you utilize, the HR team, maintenance or cleaning staff… the list goes on.
One of the main reasons it’s so important to treat everyone equally is that you never know what a person might be able to help you with or do for you in the future. Of course, that means never taking advantage of that particular person’s assistance or eagerness to help, under any circumstances.
Are you familiar with the expression “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Think of it like this. Someone you don’t interact with on a daily basis, but still consider a friendly acquaintance, could share a tip with you regarding a friend who happens to be hiring for a position you’d love to have. Without that tip, you wouldn’t be aware of the opportunity. This scenario happens much more than you probably think. Just another reason to be considerate to everyone.
Another possibility is making a friend you wouldn’t otherwise have. Diversity in the workplace is more commonplace than ever before. This gives individuals a much better chance of becoming friends with someone who isn’t part of their everyday life. It might be someone who works in a different department or the person who maintains the office grounds. When it comes to meeting, and making a new friend, the possibilities are almost endless.
Why It Can Be Challenging to Work with Others
There are several reasons why it can be challenging to work with others. Many people have a tendency to bring their egos to their job site. It could be that these individuals are really self-conscious and unsure of themselves underneath. So, they use a big ego as a cover-up.
Quite honestly, grandstanding at work backfires more often than not. It creates resentment and bad feelings very quickly. When an employee doesn’t work well with others, for whatever reason, chances are high that that person will end up getting terminated.
If this unbecoming behavior continues, the same person risks getting terminated over and over again until he or she finally finds a job where getting along with people doesn’t matter. It’s a sad scenario when you think about it. Don’t let it happen to you!
Another challenging part of working with others is making an effort to avoid competition. If a fellow employee isn’t getting along with you, it may be because of the competitive aspects of your job description and the fact that they’re trying to beat you at something.
Yes, it’s true that a bit of friendly competition can entice workers into improving their performance. However, bringing someone else’s work performance up in order to get to them isn’t going to do anything other than hurt their feelings. This can lead to a decrease in your own performance and could even cause you to think about moving on and finding a job elsewhere.
This article is an excerpt from one of our books: How to Work Well with Others. Click here to get a copy.