Confrontation In The Workplace

Have you ever noticed how there is always somebody in the workplace who gets on your nerves? No matter how good the policies and procedures, no matter how good the management team are at setting the vision and focus, no matter how respected and valued you feel, there is always one thing that can become a challenge for you in any company – the people you work with.

Every now and then, despite us all being to a greater or lesser extent focused on the job at hand, our personalities show. It could be a major event or just a minor comment – either way this is when potential issues can occur.

I read in Psychology Today that some firms have even resorted to employees displaying their four letter personality type on their name badges. Presumably fellow employees can then tell how best to deal with any given individual.

How else can we begin to navigate this potential minefield? In the words of Socrates “Know thyself”. The first place you can begin is with yourself and your attitude towards your colleagues. Try to resist recruiting others to feel negative about an individual. This escalates negativity and is potentially damaging to you, the business and the person concerned. Focus instead on the positive aspects they bring to the company in order to try and diffuse your feelings towards them. Do you know what it is about them that really annoys or frustrates you? Try to analyse the specifics and if necessary think about addressing your concerns with the individual – in a non emotional and professional way. If these steps aren’t as successful as you would like can you avoid dealing with them or reduce contact? As a last resort you may need to include a senior third party.