During the course of professional life, one often comes across coworkers who are not so easy to get along with. Some of them can be avoided easily, yet others make it impossible for you to simply ignore them and continue your work. Most of us choose to ignore a difficult employee, even if he is directly interfering with our work, rather than confronting him. While this might be the easier solution, having a difficult coworker affects your work productivity tremendously and makes it hard for you to perform at your maximum potential in the long run.
Is he really being difficult?
The most important thing that you have to figure out is whether the coworkers is actually being difficult on purpose or is it just your perception. It might be that you are having problems with a coworker just because the two of you have different personality types that clash too often. There are a lot of people who just fail to get along well as they have very different personalities. It does not mean that any one of them is being difficult rather the problem is that both of them are failing to find a common ground. If this is what is causing trouble between you and a colleague then it can be easily resolved. The best way is to talk it out with the coworker. Ask him which of your habits are causing him inconvenience and listen to him patiently, as there is no point in being offended by what he has to say. Try to remain objective and figure out what you can do to resolve the situation. Make sure that you also communicate your problems to the coworker, but do it tactfully. It should not appear that you are criticizing the colleague just to spite him. Vocalize your concerns in a friendly and amiable manner so that the other person reacts positively as well.
However, if you are sure that there is nothing untoward in your attitude and the coworker is being difficult on purpose, then you have to take some steps to set the situation right.
There are many ways to deal with a difficult coworker without making a big deal and creating a bad impression on the boss.
Confront or avoid?
The first thing you have to decide when dealing with a coworker is how you want to go about it. Many people choose to avoid conflict and try to mind their own business as much as possible so that they can avoid any sort of confrontation. This approach may do the trick for a short time, but sooner or later you will have to deal with a difficult coworker who makes it impossible for you to avoid him. In such a case there are several options for you regarding how to successfully deal with a troublesome coworker.
Avoid petty arguments
The most important thing that you have to keep in mind is that whatever the situation might be; try to avoid getting into petty arguments with a difficult colleague. Arguments seldom solve anything and whenever you argue with a person who is bent on being difficult, the end result is bound to be frustrating for you. You will end up gaining nothing and will have given the other person the satisfaction of an argument. It is likely that by avoiding getting into petty arguments you will be able to make the difficult coworker follow your example.
To Be Continued ...
