Interpersonal skills are just as vital as technical know-how. After all, your coworkers (ranging from an Administrative Assistant to the CEO) represent a broad spectrum of personality traits that you will eventually have to deal with in order to survive and shine in the work place. I bet you can come up with at least three coworkers with whom you really find difficulty interacting with. Since it is impossible to change these people, you must learn to accept them.
Mastering essential people skills will not only dramatically increase your chances of achieving the best outcome but it will also enable you to effectively improve the way you communicate with others at work.
Here are five types of difficult people you may meet at work along with some advice on how to handle each one.
The Know-it-all
We all know someone who always has an answer to every single question ever asked, whether or not that answer is correct or accurate. The know-it-all is typically someone who thinks he knows everything about everything! He is usually opinionated and assumes that he can do everyone else’s job and would never hesitate to turn every single mistake you have ever made into a never-ending soap opera. He likes to show off in front of management by correcting you even if you are not wrong and no one asked him to.
How to handle a know-it-all?
The most effective way to discourage a know-it-all is to ignore him, because responding to him or feeding his ego encourages him to continue his abuse. Don’t ask him questions or seek his advice. You may also be surprised to discover that management has already noticed his inappropriate behavior.
The Big Mouth
The big mouth is someone who can’t keep their mouth shut. No matter what happens at work, no matter what you say, the next thing you know, everyone knows about it. You can hear them talking to people as soon as something happens.
How to handle a big mouth?
You need to be careful around this kind of person so you don’t become the topic of their next juicy gossip session. Don’t bet on them keeping any secrets. If they try to gossip to you, just let them know in a polite way that you are not interested. You can out smart a big mouth by putting him to work for you, tell him things you want others to hear like how nice everyone is or what a hard worker she is.
The Mentor
The mentor is someone who is willing to provide guidance to those who ask for it. He is someone whose work ethic, accomplishments, management style and professionalism you admire. A good mentor will share information gained from their experience, offering insight into your own career future while helping you avoid the same detours and drawbacks he encountered along the way.
How to approach a mentor?
When you actually find a mentor, approach him, let him know why you’re contacting him, and create a relationship that is beneficial for both parties. In most cases the mentor will be flattered. Finding one who will be the best fit for you is a matter of individual preference based on the goals you are looking to accomplish. But one thing is for sure, a mentor can support you through your self-development and career maturity journey.
The Whiner
There is nothing worse than working with someone who whines all day long about every little thing and never does anything about it. Whiners usually focus on the problem itself without bothering to find a solution for it; they are insecure about their own abilities and are often afraid to take risks. As harmless as they might appear to be, whiners create a general atmosphere of negativity that affects everyone around them.
How to handle a whiner?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should never allow a whiner to drag you down to his level. A positive shift in his attitude will not happen until the whiner recognizes the primary root cause of his complaints. You may be able to help him or her recognize this with a compassionate and understanding approach. This approach might take more effort but it will surely pay off in the long run.
The Delegator
No, we are not talking about those who have a legitimate right to delegate a certain task to a subordinate. We are actually talking about those who either don’t know how to do all the work they have been given or don’t want to do it because they are lazy or incompetent and they try to hand off the responsibility to you.
How to handle a delegator?
If you work in a team environment and deal with all your teammates on a daily basis and you feel like you have the time to help those who are in need, then you should. However, if supervisors are the only ones who have the right to delegate and you already have your own thing going on, then you have to rebuff the request. Apologize politely and tell your coworker you have your own work with which you have your hands full.
There is no doubt that the environment you choose to work in can have a tremendous impact on your ability to do your work. Unfortunately, the only way to really know what a certain company’s work environment is like is to work there. However, Akhtaboot (www.akhtaboot.com) has created a platform for companies that allows them to set up a dynamic profile page describing their business and their work environment, namely, the ‘Why Work for Us’ section.
Remember that the workplace is an environment that mixes a large variety of personalities. Stay true to yourself; be a professional and always try to be the bigger man or woman in any situation that comes your way.
