Have
you ever worked with someone who made your day at work a living hell? Well, I have and it was really
difficult for me to want to come to work.
This co-worker was always in a bad mood, tardy, lazy, and hostile. As a result, I felt stressed out and unhappy. I remember asking myself, how can one
person have such power over others and create such friction and toxicity in the
workplace? Luckily, however, this
person moved to another state, so I did not have to leave my job. But sometimes, there can even be more
than one toxic co-worker. So, what
do you do? The reality is that we all
have flaws, and working with difficult co-workers is a commonality in the workplace. The key is to identify the toxic
co-worker(s). Try to understand
where this behavior comes from. Although
there is no excuse for anyone treating others with disrespect or creating
unnecessary problems at work, the truth of the matter is that their personal
problems consume them and they need help with coping with these issues.
Let’s consider that there are many underlying
reasons which create difficult co-workers. Your concern should be on how that co-worker’s behavior is
affecting you and what you can do about it. Is it not true that happy people promote congeniality in
their work environment, while unhappy people, whether intentional or not, create
unnecessary difficult working relationships with others? There are many people who just do not
like to be told what or how to do their job. The bottom line is that toxic co-worker(s) are detrimental
to the growth of a company.
That said, working with difficult co-workers is
a challenging effort, but there are some positive and proactive steps you can
take in order to deal with this type of situation.
•
Be professional about
your response to a toxic co-worker(s).
•
Be patient and try to
understand that this negative behavior is coming from somewhere.
•
Avoid confrontations as
much as possible.
•
Keep your cool! Control your emotions and do not allow
yourself to get caught up in unnecessary arguments or confrontations. Remember that you are at work, and this
is a place of business!
•
Be honest and speak to someone
in human resources, your supervisor, manager, or upper management about what is
occurring and how it is affecting you.
The good thing is that there are rules and regulations which management and
human resources rely upon when dealing with such difficult employees.
•
Depending on the
circumstances, if things really get out of hand and you have exhausted all
other measures to get help in handling this situation, then maybe you should either
consider finding a more suitable place to work or speak to an attorney for
advice in weighing your legal options.
Regardless of where you work, however, you
should never accept working in an uncomfortable or harmful environment. Talk to your boss and identify the
toxic co-worker(s), as well as describe how this negative behavior is affecting
you, as well as others. Don’t be
afraid to express how this co-worker(s) is causing low moral and productivity
in your department or office. By
not speaking up, you are only enabling and perpetuating the stressful circumstances
that a difficult co-worker(s) can promote.
Wendy
Oliveras is a search consultant and career planning and development advisor in
Jersey City. She can be reached at
(201) 947-6662 or by email at wo@oliverascoinc.com. For further information please visit www.oliverascoinc.com.