\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n\u00a0Pessimism can take on many different forms in the workplace. Some <\/span>difficult coworkers<\/span> who fall into this category shoot down almost every idea or facilitate nasty gossip about other team members. Meanwhile, other pessimists focus their negative attention on personal problems and muddle the boundary between their personal and private lives. Regardless, The Pessimist\u2019s constant negativity can <\/span>definitely<\/span><\/i> create a <\/span>toxic workplace<\/span> over time. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHow To Deal with The Pessimist:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhen working with a pessimist, it\u2019s important to try to understand where all that negativity is coming from. After all, people who are truly happy don\u2019t exude this kind of energy.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBy understanding that this behaviour can stem from personal struggles, it\u2019s easier to empathise with this <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> and work towards a better, more positive relationship. To further reframe the relationship, try out these tactics:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Gently defend any coworkers that The Pessimist talks about negatively. This way, your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> will know that you\u2019re not interested in harmful gossip and may also rethink their comments.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Check in on your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> with a statement such as, \u201cI can see you\u2019re feeling upset about this situation. Is there anything we can do to help you move forward.\u201d Understanding statements like this will make your coworker feel supported and (hopefully) discourage mindless negativity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Reframe your <\/span>difficult coworker\u2019s<\/span> pessimism as a strength when considering calculated business risks. Their ability to see the downside of any idea will help highlight potential issues.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Passive Aggressive Peer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Have you ever worked with someone w<\/span>ho fires out thinly veiled insults and displays negative body language, all while insisting that everything\u2019s fine? Passive aggressive personalities are particularly tricky to deal with, largely because of their affinity for gaslight-ish behaviour.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe reasoning behind this avoidant approach to conflict is often spurred on by a fear of failure or rejection, but that doesn\u2019t make it feel any better when you\u2019re on the receiving end of your <\/span>difficult coworker\u2019s<\/span> death stare. To defuse the tension, give these approaches a go:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Address the situation head-on. It might seem a little scary, but <\/span>passive aggressive coworkers<\/span> can only get away with their behaviour if their targets ignore the underlying hostility. Schedule a one-on-one meeting to go over how you feel and use phrases such as \u201cFrom our earlier interaction, I understood that you were feeling frustrated about ___, is this correct?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Try to understand why your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> is acting in this way. Essentially, focus on the reason rather than their actions. This way, you can approach the underlying issue and resolve tensions once and for all.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> makes a subtle jab at you, redirect the conversation back to them by taking a pause and then asking, \u201cAre you okay?\u201d As this question emphasises their nasty comment and places attention back on them, your coworker will likely feel embarrassed and think twice before being aggressive again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Know-It-All<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
While confidence is super important in the workplace, it shouldn\u2019t be used to diminish the ideas of others (otherwise, you\u2019ll likely find yourself in a pretty toxic workplace). So, when <\/span>difficult coworkers<\/span> openly ridicule contending ideas, refuse to consider other perspectives, or take credit for the team\u2019s success, it might be time to address the situation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBefore jumping into solutions, it\u2019s important to acknowledge that this kind of behaviour often emerges as a result of deep-rooted insecurity. Thus, when we go about addressing it, we may want to do so gently. With that in mind, here are a few strategies that you can try out:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n- By acknowledging interruptions from your know-it-all coworker, you\u2019re making sure that they know their behaviour won\u2019t be tolerated. It\u2019s a bit of a scary tactic to put into practice, but they\u2019ll soon get the message and start leaving spaces for other voices.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- When your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> writes off another person\u2019s idea, ask for specific facts proving why it won\u2019t work. This way, they\u2019ll have to back up any dismissive behaviour, and (hopefully) their unwanted input will come up less.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Lead by example by openly asking for help and sharing your desire to learn. If your <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span> sees that others have weaknesses, they might be able to be more vulnerable with theirs, too!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When you come across these personalities in the workplace, it\u2019s common to fall into a state of frustration and adopt the belief that you\u2019d have to quit before any real changes were made. However, this really isn\u2019t the case.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nAs you can see, if you\u2019re having real issues with a <\/span>difficult coworker<\/span>, there are multiple ways to resolve them without ditching your dream job.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n