How to deal with difficult people at work

Farhana Rakshand

Srinagar,13 Tuesday: According to my own experience, I have realized that at work we find people with different types of human natures. Some are very difficult and some only difficult. Very difficult people imply people who are really difficult to change even if you try your best to do so. Likewise, I have come across few people who fall in the latter category. I have my own way of dealing with them on a day-to-day basis.

First, I recognize such people with simple talks. I see a regular pattern in such types of people. There are more complaints than acknowledgments towards the authority. They would ask you few questions which would drag you towards complaining towards the system. If you would ask about the workplace, they would never tell you the truth. For them, work is such a big problem in the first place that it has hurdled them towards everything positive. You would wonder why they are at all working then.

They would want you to speak their language because they want to hear what they say. All this while, you might lose interest in your work because of the negativity they impart to you through their well-versed stories against other co-workers.

If you have to share your work with them, they would never be satisfied with what you do because their aim is to criticize.

The important question is what to do in such an environment?

My solution is: Quarantine (the real buzz word these days) yourself with this co-worker of yours, at least for the first few months.  Until you get hands-on experience of your work by some other source. Once you are aware of the things and understand the culture of your workplace start interacting with him only in case of any need. If that person doesn’t agree with you and criticizes you, don’t say a single word and most of all don’t react. This behavior would confuse him and wouldn’t give him an opportunity to discuss your shortcomings head-on, that too if you have any.

As you go further you will understand it was easy to avoid him and it wouldn’t affect you in case.

This solution has helped me. Try it in case this may work for you as well

(The author is Bangalore based Corporate language Trainer)