5 Ways to Deal with Difficult Colleagues

It’s a situation that we’re all faced with at some point in the challenging, strenuous and consistently inconsistent journey commonly referred to as a career. It can be tricky to get used to the complexities of a 9-5 working day that is constantly evolving, however the addition of working with difficult colleagues who contribute to the slowing down of time may be a driving force to utilise those sick leave hours! We therefore present 5 tips on dealing with these colleagues to reduce/alleviate any work related stresses you’re experiencing!

Identify what the issue is

In a world that operates on an on-the-go and fast paced basis, it’s easy to blow an issue out of proportion- especially when that particular issue has consumed your thoughts. Try to identify what the issue actually is. Most of the time, it’s purely the thought of that problem that is daunting as opposed to the issue actually bothering you.

With that in mind, is the reason you feel uncomfortable around a particular colleague simply the result of a personality clash? This is quite common in the workforce; some people prefer to keep to themselves whereas others work best in a group. Therefore for example; the reason for their silence or isolation isn’t directed at you, it’s simply their way of functioning at work and most likely can’t be changed.

‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’

This subtitle is self-explanatory. Machiavelli said it, Sun Tzu uttered similar words, Al Pacino even reiterated this saying and we’ll say it again.  In terms of enemy, we don’t only refer to these people whom you don’t get along with; it actually refers to anyone who you’re in competition with or who may try to take credit for your work. Keeping them ‘close’ (don’t get too close) may become advantageous to you in terms of understanding why they’re behaving the way that they do, or why they feel as though they’re above you.  Just make sure not to obsess with the issue, clashes will always occur but you can manage them strategically to achieve higher satisfaction at work.

Never say anything bad about anyone… At work

We live in a world where anything and everything said can be used against you. Don’t speak ill of a colleague to another colleague, never create any written material regarding the company or its employees (this is a legal issue, we’re not making this one up!), and please please please if you feel the need to vent to anyone, discuss your issues with a family member, friend or health professional (there’s a highly unlikely chance your colleagues will hear of your struggles from them).

In saying that, if any bullying is occurring in person, try to communicate more through email. It’s always better to have documentation or physical proof if the matter reaches the HR department (this is an extreme precaution!)

If all else fails - talk to your boss!

There are just some things you will not be able to change with the resources and decisions you are in control of. If the proximity or setup is what is making the issue with your difficult colleague worse, ask if you can be moved or partnered with someone else. Be sure to mention how you feel this will encourage better performance and results as well as a better team harmony overall. As long as you touch on your employer’s concerns for performance and making sure the team ‘gets along’, they have a responsibility to listen to you.

Move on

If these colleagues are beginning to bother you to the point where it’s affecting your work, then it might be time for change. Separate yourself completely or as much as possible from them and simply focus on your work. Work independently if need may be, limit conversation to greetings and purely work related topics and migrate over to another group of colleagues with whom you’re more comfortable/compatible with. Be the bigger person and end up happier for it.

If negativity is affecting your personal life or keeping you up at night, then you should definitely consider making a change within your current business or explore other avenues.

Good luck!

Why a candidate’s attitude should affect your hiring choices

We've all experienced bad customer service from time to time, whether it was in a clothing store, at your local supermarket, or calling up your utilities retailer to inquire about a bill. A common feeling following bad service is often complete dissatisfaction. This can lead to an effort to avoid the provider in the future, make a complaint and most commonly; share your negative experience with others. This same idea can be applied to the inner workings of all workplace relationships; if attitudes don’t match, your output will suffer. To make sure you proof your hires from possible PR nightmares and losses let alone poor staff relationships, it is important to get accustomed to considering the attitudes when making hiring decisions.

How can different attitudes affect your business?

The attitude of an employee can have both detrimental and advantageous effects on a business as a whole, so before you delve into the hiring pool it is important to consider a few things first. Maintain a positive workplace, whether you’re working as an employee, running your own business, or managing a business for another.

A positive working environment will influence: 

• Satisfaction of employees and clients
• Faster work rates and productivity
• Higher work quality
• Greater employee retention

Those who have a negative attitude towards their work, brand, colleagues or simply display an attitude that does not match the personality required to get the job done in your particular industry are disconnected from the business; they will produce a much lower quality of work and are less likely to remain within the business. High employee turnover is very costly to a business and in this case it is quite preventable.

How can an attitude within the office effect business reputation?

Whilst not all employees will have direct contact with your clients, they will more than likely have an influence over the level of care and satisfaction your clients are going to experience. It is important that an employee shows engagement and concern for the well-being of the business’s clients. A poor attitude is likely to lead to a manifestation of disengagement and disinterest toward the client which will likely have them searching elsewhere for a better and more satisfying service.

What to look out for

So, you know what you want and it’s time for planning the hiring process, what should you be looking out for that influences attitude?

In organisational psychology, attitudes are defined as an individual’s beliefs, feelings and their unique behavioural tendencies towards events, objects, groups or activities. Attitudes are generally made up of feelings an individual experiences, behaviour that is elicited in response to a particular stimuli and the the thought process or knowledge that surrounds a particular stimulus. Most traditional hiring techniques still rely on an interview in an attempt to grasp attitude, however benefits can be found in using assessment first to reduce a large candidate pool then utilising the interview in a general sense way to confirm the findings. This two-pronged approach removes the bias where applicants ‘put on a good face’ in an interview setting. 

When in the interview, find out how much the candidate knows about your business and ask if they’re aware of your business values. Having actively researched this shows they care about the business values they could potentially be representing, be sure to find out why they applied to check if their values have aligned with yours. Then present the candidate with a range of scenarios for them to consider and discuss what they would do. An individual who presents as solution-minded as opposed to problem focused is a much more desirable candidate for your business. Finally, watch their body language, do they appear interested in what you are saying? Are they interested in finding out more by asking you questions?

So, when you are next faced with the hiring process, consider what needs to be discovered in an applicant’s attitude and how it can be reliably measured before jumping to conclusions. This way you save unnecessary stress and ‘bad hire’ factors later on. Happy hiring!

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Since 1994, Psych Press’ psychologists have been enhancing employers’ efforts to hire right the first time and bridge their workplace needs to a reliable means of measurement. Taking assessments and candidate management online, even with virtual interviews to save incredible amounts of time has been their next achievement, where all the benefits have been passed onto recruiters and hiring managers. To learn more about Psych Press’ ideals and processes visit their psychometric screening webpage or call 03 9670 0590 or email at info@psychpress.com.au for a confidential discussion.