Dealing with Difficult People at Your Workplace
No matter what type of work environment you work in you are bound to come into contact with difficult people. Some people will be slackers, some whiners, and others bullies. Learning how to deal with these people is important to your job satisfaction and in some cases your safety.
How to Deal with the Whiner
If you work with a person who is always whining about the work that they have to do you probably should try to ignore them. If their whining is interfering with your work productivity then you need to stand up for yourself and tell them that you are trying to get your work done, and then ask them politely to leave you alone, and provide them with a time that will be more appropriate for discussing their problems.
How to Deal with Lazy Co-Workers
If you work on a team with a person who just isn’t pulling their weight you have a couple of options. First of all you can shoulder their responsibilities and not say anything. If this is an option that you don’t want to use then you can confront the lazy employee and ask them to complete a certain task for the team. By directing them you may correct the problem. However, if this doesn’t work then you may need to discuss the problem with the supervisor.
How to Deal with Aggressive Co-Workers
If you work with someone who is constantly bullying you or pushing you around at work you need to do something to stop this behavior. Bullying can quickly turn into something more treacherous. To protect yourself you need to report this type of behavior immediately. You will also want to keep a log of each incident that occurs. If the employee is brought before a review panel you will need evidence to support your claims.
How to Deal with Abusive Customers
If you are trying to deal with a customer who is abusive and in your face you need to take specific steps to defuse the situation. First of all assess whether the customer is a threat to your own safety. If this is the case then you don’t want to be left alone with them. Secondly you want to calm the customer down as quickly as possible. Usually by assuring them that you intend to do everything in your power to correct the problem will help them to calm down. Next let them tell their side of the story. Repeat key pieces of information back to them. Finally comply with company policies to correct the problem or take them to someone who will be able to correct the problem.
How to Deal with an Overly Critical Boss
While there are disciplinary policies in place to help employees deal with abusive co-workers, few companies provide remedies for dealing with bosses that are overly critical of your work. If your boss is constantly yelling at you about your work you need to evaluate if the complaints are valid. If they are valid complaints then you need to take steps to improve your productivity or take classes to learn the skills needed to improve your job performance. If you think the problem is that you lack certain skills then you may want to talk with your boss about having the company send you to a seminar or class to learn the skills that you need to perform your job better. On the other hand, if you think that the boss’s complaints are invalid then you need to decide if your job is worth the frustration. If it’s not then you may want to look for a new job, or request a transfer to a new department.