No matter where you work, the people you are surrounded by have a huge impact on your work satisfaction, productivity, and motivation. Fortunately, most people tend to like and get along with their coworkers. According to the Pew Research Center, 67% of workers are satisfied with their relationships with coworkers. Most people feel that they can get along and even make friends with the people that they work with. While most people in the workplace do get along, however, it is impossible to have a team that gets along perfectly all of the time. Whether it is because of constant complaining, personality conflict, or workplace competition, it is essential to learn to deal with difficult coworkers in healthcare.
Related: Building Your Credibility and Team Skills: Effective Collaboration Skills in Healthcare
Complaining
One of the most challenging types of coworkers to deal with is those who complain about everything. It is hard to be in a good mood when you are surrounded by people who seem to be looking for things to be upset about.
If you work with someone who is constantly complaining, there are a few things you can do to get things moving in a more positive direction:
- Walk away. When a coworker shifts from voicing a concern to complaining about their jobs and the people they work with, try to engage in negativity as little as possible and don’t forget that you can walk away.
- Be supportive, but don’t add fuel to the fire. Of course, you want to be supportive of your coworkers when they are having a tough day. Listening to someone share their worries and helping them work through a problem is an important part of being a supportive teammate. However, do not get dragged into a negative and unproductive conversation.
- Use the phrase, “given that.” When someone is complaining, don’t try to argue them out of their complaint. Instead, recognize that they are struggling, and ask what they plan to do about it. For example, if your co-worker is complaining that they feel that they are always given the most difficult assignments, your response might sound like this “Given that you feel your assignments are harder than everyone else’s, what do you think you will do about it next time?”
Bullying
Workplace bullying is a huge problem in the United States. According to Harvard Business Review, around 30% of the workforce reports witnessing or being a victim of workplace bullying. There are several ways that adults bully each other at work, including:
- Belittling another person, especially in front of others
- Spreading rumors that may harm a person’s career or reputation
- Yelling at another person in anger
- Withholding information to make someone else look bad
- Framing someone else for an error
Bullying is often a cultural problem within an organization. Bullies typically act out only when they know they can get away with it. When you see a coworker being bullied, take a stand. If you do not feel comfortable confronting them directly, explain what is happening to your supervisor. If you are the victim of mistreatment, call on your boss or manager for help.
Related: Building Your Credibility and Team Skills: Overcoming Common Obstacles that Teams Encounter
Competition
One of the most common issues between coworkers is competition. Many organizations tend to hire and promote from within, and only one employee will be chosen for promotion among many applicants. This can be difficult for several reasons:
- Coworkers competing for a position may be less likely to work together to solve problems.
- Unhealthy competition can lead to unprofessional conduct such as trying to get another person in trouble.
- If someone from the group is chosen to be a leader of their peers, those who were not selected may be reluctant to follow the new leader.
If you find yourself in this situation, remember that people are more important than promotions. While you may find yourself tempted to change your behavior towards others who are in the running for promotion or opportunity, remember that how you conduct yourself during the process will have a lasting impact.
Whether or not you are chosen for the position, remember to treat others with kindness and respect. Avoid gossip or bad-mouthing. Be supportive of the people you work with.
Failing to meet expectations
In almost every job, there is a need for teamwork and collaboration with others. It is extremely frustrating to work with someone who does not meet expectations, or who seems to get away with doing less work than anyone else.
Like most problems in the workplace, using clear and direct communication is the best solution to this problem. Rather than silently resenting the other person or gossiping about their work ethic to others, confront your coworker directly as soon as possible after an incident.
Expressing frustration or disappointment can be uncomfortable for some people, but there are ways to do it without being mean or disrespectful. If you find yourself feeling alone while working on a group project, or constantly picking up slack for a lazy coworker, express your expectations directly to them.
A conversation with a coworker may sound something like this, “I did not expect to do this part of a project. I was frustrated by the addition to my workload today. I would really appreciate it if you could help me more with some specific tasks in the future. Is that something you can do?”
Your coworker may say no or say yes and still fail to follow through. If that is the case, you have a choice to make. You may simply decide to take on the extra workload and adjust your expectations. On the other hand, you may want to speak with your manager about how you can reduce your own workload.
Unless you are their direct manager, the best way to handle a lazy coworker is to focus only on the things you can control. You can’t force someone else to work harder, but you can choose your response to their behavior.
Challenging personalities
Most organizations benefit from hiring a diverse workforce. Having a mixture of cultures, backgrounds, opinions, and personalities brings balance and new ideas to the team. However, merging all of these personalities can sometimes be a challenge.
When dealing with personalities that clash with yours, the best strategy is to assume good intent. Rather than assuming someone is bossy and controlling, imagine that they simply care deeply about the job and are anxious about things going well. A coworker who talks too much and makes bad jokes is often just trying to be friendly. An employee who keeps to herself and rarely joins in with any small talk may be shy or introverted.
Above all, it is important to be kind, do your best, and assume good intent. Stand up for others when you can. Remember that you never know what another person may be going through.
