Top 10 Tips: Dealing With Difficult Co-Workers

Dealing with unprofessional colleagues is frustrating and might even affect your work performance. Learn  how to cope with problematic behavior and, most importantly, remain calm. By taking action immediately, you might be able to avoid a conflict before it ever becomes a situation!

Difficult people exist at work as in all facets of life, and they come in every variety. Dealing with these types is easier when the person is just generally obnoxious or when their behavior affects more than one person. But it is much tougher when they personally attack you or undermine your professional standing. While you probably can’t change such a person, the good news is that by following these 10 tips for dealing with problem people in the workplace, you can avoid being their victim:

Identify problem people. Learn to recognize when a co-worker is “toxic.” Difficult people come in all shapes and sizes: Some talk constantly and never listen. Others must always have the last word. Some co-workers fail to keep commitments. Others criticize anything that they did not create themselves. A toxic co-worker can take the form of a cut-you-downer, a two faced backstabber, a gossip, a meddler, an instigator or a nasty competitor.

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