Dealing With Difficult People @ Work
At some point in your career, you are bound to be teamed up with people who just rub you the wrong way. Now, this raises a question that — “ how to deal with difficult people at work? ”.
Jharna Jagtiani
At some point in your career, you are bound to be teamed up with people who just rub you the wrong way. Now, this raises a question that — “ how to deal with difficult people at work? ”. This is a prevalent issue and that’s the most ultimate reason that why people leave companies; not because of the job itself but because of the people that they work with.
So, here are 3 ways to Deal With Difficult People @ Work -
1. Clarify Perceptions — Everyone has a different opinion about things which they use to better understand people and situations. Try to discover the motivation underlying a person’s behavior.
2. Recognise Emotions — We all have emotions that fuel our behavior. Curiosity about what the other person might be feeling in a particular situation helps to see them as a person with a concern, rather than a person who is the concern.
3. Communicate Clearly — Using ‘I’ statements can help articulate what you are thinking and feeling in a heated situation more clearly and effectively. Rather than undergoing such problems all alone, it’s easier to communicate frankly with the other person and discuss your quandary. Thus, choosing to keep things with you without sharing them with others is not a choice.
Difficult people at work come in different forms — some people keep talking but are never ready to listen, others are terrible criticizers and dishonest to their responsibilities and then there are bullies, the ones who spread negativity around, too demanding seniors and bosses, and atrocious team players with uncompromising employee habits.
A mediator can assist to facilitate communication to resolve the issue for smooth functioning. In this kind of situation, workplace mediation can be a very effective way to handle such situations effectively.
A request for external mediation is often triggered by a complaint made to the HR or management; after an incident that took place between those involved that has brought the matter to a head; or after there has been a workplace investigation and there is a need to rebuild the relationship between the participants.
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Jharna Jagtiani
Ms. Jharna Jagtiani is an Assistant Professor at IFIM Law School. She is a qualified lawyer and a certified mediator by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs – GOI. She is a mediator & online dispute resolution consultant. As an independent practitioner, her work involves assisting start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises to set up their internal management and consumer dispute resolution system. In the year 2016, she became the Co-founder of Prerna Foundation – a socio-legal initiative started with an objective to ease access to justice for people at large. She is also a Startup Consultant at Pixilets. Recently, she has been awarded the “Nari Shakti Samman Award” for women's empowerment – by helping women entrepreneurs to start grow and sustain their dream ventures at Jan’ki Conclave and Award 2021 - 2022.
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