Now and then, we all come across co-workers who make a kind of hell out of the workplace for us. Whenever we plan to go to work, some feeling of stress and depression descends on us because of what the experience might probably be. Ironically, some of us too, through our actions and inactions, have created the same scenario for others. In this article, I will take my time to explain some of the types of hard co-workers and how to decisively deal with them. Before learning more about difficult workplace personalities and how to handle them, it is important to understand personality. Basically stated, personality is the sum of characteristics and traits that define a person’s typical thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in over time (Malik, 2007). For those who have personality traits that are considered outside of the norm and potentially harmful to themselves and/or others, a personality disorder may be present (Universal Class, 2018).
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013b), “personality disorders are associated with ways of thinking and feeling about oneself and others that significantly and adversely affect how an individual functions in many aspects of life.” Now that you have a solid foundation about the concept to be discussed, let’s get down to business.
The gossip: A common difficult personality type found in many office environments is “the gossip.”This type goes without much explanation, as it is common knowledge that people like this get their title from talking about other people (often behind their backs) and spreading rumors about others (which are oftentimes untrue or exaggerated versions of the truth). If you have ever found yourself in a conversation with the gossip at your office, you probably know what to expect from them. You may have even found yourself the victim of their bad habits, maybe without even realizing it (Universal Class, 2018).
Indeed, talking about other people may be a way to deflect attention away from their own bad traits (e.g., poor work performance) or a way to create situations that they find amusing. Gossips may also hold the misguided belief that their gossip is a way to connect with other coworkers with whom they share their gossip (Universal Class, 2018). Gossips love drama, but their rumor mongering can be damaging to your professional reputation, and your career. Avoid engaging in any of their gossip, since anything you say could be held against you. Excuse yourself from negative conversations, or redirect the focus to the task at hand (Career Advice, 2018).
The negative co-worker. This one always has something negative to say, no matter what. True, it can be helpful to have a critical thinker on the team who plays devil’s advocate, but far too often this person is quick to criticize without offering up solutions. Whenever you see a negative co-worker, perhaps if you’ve read Bossypants by Tina Fey, her sayings that “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles” will gush to mind. It is unfortunate that the negative co-worker does the latter. If you hear someone constantly bringing everyone down by saying, “I know the prospective client isn’t going to sign with us,” or “We’re definitely going to lose that client,” you know you’re working with a negative coworker (Gross, 2015).
The good news is that you can deal negative co-workers without necessarily getting out of your nerves. When this person raises problems (and you know they will), ask them for more details. Why won’t the client sign? What’s going on there? Press them to fully describe the problem and ask them to provide a solution. He/she may raise some valid points, so never ignore what they have to say or write them off (Gross, 2015).
Overly competitive co-worker. Let me start explaining this with a practical illustration almost everyone can relate with. Do you remember the person in class who would repeatedly ask for your notes, yet not return the favor if you asked them for help? If you do, then I am happy to inform you that this is the grown-up version of that person. Someone who is overly competitive may try to sabotage other people and throw them under the bus. They will climb over others if it helps them get to the top and they may even try to take credit for your work. Having a competitive coworker can be an advantage if he/she is competitive in the right way for their industry such as in law, PR, or sales. Healthy competition in the workplace can even encourage people to work harder. However, it’s a problem if the person is overly competitive with other people at work and doesn’t offer to help. A company is a team and everyone should work together to contribute to the success of the organization… But that doesn’t always happen (Gross, 2015).
You can devise a way of working with this category of difficult co-workers too. Competitive coworkers may be insecure leading them to feel threatened by your success. Try to show this person that you want to work with them, not against them. Collaborate with them, but make sure to leave a paper, or carbon copy, trail indicating that you worked on projects. You don’t want him/her to take the credit for your ideas or killer presentation. In the meantime, focus on yourself and doing the best job you can do in the workplace. Don’t be derailed by their competitive nature and don’t try to engage in it. If most of the people in your company are aggressive, consider if this is the type of environment where you will work best. Some people thrive in competitive environments and others don’t (Gross, 2015).
The slacker. Slackers often have a knack for doing the bare minimum of actual work, while always appearing run off their feet. Deal with them by documenting the responsibilities of each team member on the projects you share, ensuring everyone is held accountable for their own workload (Career Advice, 2018).
References
Career Advice (2018). 7 Types of Difficult Colleagues or Bosses. Retrieved from https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/7-types-of-difficult-colleagues-or-bosses
Gross, E (2015). 5 Types of Problem Co-workers and How to (Almost) Deal with Them. Retrieved from https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/problem-coworkers/
Universal Class (2018). 10 Difficult Workplace Personalities and How to Deal with Them. Retrieved from https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/difficult-workplace-personalities-and-how-to-deal-with-them.htm
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(C) 2021, Alan Elangovan, All Copy Rights Reserved.