Tacklers A "tackler" is a coworker who attacks you personally while arguing an issue, according to Hakim. Unfortunately, sometimes you may find yourself wondering how to deal with negative coworkers in the mix. Don't stop suggesting great ideas just because you have a co-worker like this. You need to state your case in a straightforward, matter of fact way. Their intelligence, therefore, allows them to solve challenges on their own that those in rural environments would need to tackle as a group. as well as other partner offers and accept our. But how? Step 1: Think First One of the best ways to deal with intelligent closed-minded people at work is giving them time to change their behaviour. I hope you appreciate that Im also intelligent and know what Im doing. For this tip, its best that you call out your coworker the moment they say something demeaning or degrading to or about you. "These colleagues are so determined to score points with the boss that they block. Ask for Clarification from the Coworker Who Makes You Feel Incompetent. "For those circumstances where you cannot handle a hostile colleague alone, quickly contact the appropriate resources to get the help that you need," she writes. [CDATA[*/document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime());/*]]>*/. Are you having problems with communication at work? Learn to voice your thoughts. Take a break. Realize that the alternative to working with smarter people is working with people who are less intelligent or experienced as you, which would probably be less educational and challenging. Be ready that this kind of coworker will be impatient, unfriendly, disrespectful, and hypercritical. You could say something like, "C'mon, Blake, I don't want to argue about that. Make sure that it's clean, well-lit, and comfortable. Even though she heads the marketing unit, I am responsible for coming up with the strategy to grow the business and for cutting costs, he says. When it comes to an emotionally cold person, the chances are that the more you push the colder they will become. Do whats best for the enterprise.. Im sorry Ive made you feel devalued., Thank you, Grace said. Even after a small talk with him/her you feel yourself worthless and destructed. People who are closed-minded often lack the ability to critically think about things in a different way. Actively ignoring negative behavior requires you to momentarily stop paying attention to your coworker. You might approach another manager and say, Id love to learn more about how you do X. You will never know what to expect from passive aggressive type. If you are around more people, it could make that coworker realize how they sound to others, causing them to reevaluate how they address you. Are you currently dealing with difficult coworkers? However, I do not suggest that you start being unreasonable with them. Toiling under someone who you feel is incompetent can be demoralizing. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Emotional intelligence is composed of four elements: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. If your coworkers are all highly accomplished, take it as a compliment: Your company saw something in you that was just as impressive. See the difference? How to Deal with Intelligent but Closed-Minded Co-Workers. Talk It Out. Grace has been doing her job for three years. She thought about what she was going to say and also how hed respond. If nothing works then you should give the concerned people some time to think over it and revisit the situation at a later stage. Imagine a barrier between you and the co-worker that protects you from his threats. Dive into our resources to get the latest scoop on creative hiring tactics and techniques! Persuading such people to alter their opinions and open to accept new ideas is a challenge. A sample scenario: But again, even though I didnt ask for help, you thought you needed to offer your input? Grace asked. What the Experts Say There are a lot of bad managers out there, says Annie McKee, founder of theTeleos Leadership Institute and coauthor of Primal Leadership. , "How did you adjust to working with smarter people?,". Keeping an electronic record of interactions between you and the "intimidator" could also be helpful in case you need to discuss the issue with a supervisor or HR manager. Is your boss a good mom or a kind husband? If you truly cant find something you admire, you may need to find a new job. So always give your best effort. Nonverbal communication accounts for the majority of communication up to 90%! Most of the times, when we are dealing with such people, they will give us unnecessary advice on how to live our lives. 2023 Skillroads.com. These avoid sounding accusatory or escalating the conversation. Remember the common mantra: The only stupid phrase is the one not asked. No matter which way you choose to move forward, its important to do so while being the bigger person. If youre dealing with negative coworkers like this put as much actual physical space as possible between yourself and the negative person to avoid personality conflict. Its easy to feel insecure when someone begins to doubt your abilities. Then please share this post or leave a comment. Do you feel like you can't keep up? Also, theres a difference between occasionally helping or covering for a colleague and doing their job for them. Its to managements benefit that laziness in the workplace is addressed. When the know-it-all tells you how to do your job, speak up, say thank you, and then add that if you need help youll be sure to ask. Abike found himself having to cover a lot of her work. How to Motivate Yourself When Your Boss Doesnt, Help your boss do her job see yourself as a complement, Find something you genuinely respect about him, Seek out other mentors to help you learn and grow, Assume that youre more qualified than your boss chances are she has some skills you dont, Try to take over her job bosses usually win, Cover up egregious mistakes or a long-standing pattern of ineptitude. Especially now, when an open office spaceformat becomes popular and disruptive people surround us anywhere and everywhere. When you are faced by such a closed-minded attitude by your management, you should try your very best to focus on your point of view. Published Jun 20, 2019 + Follow Do you get annoyed with colleagues and leaders who have low emotional intelligence? How can you tactfully address the problem? Thats it, a five-step process to dealing with lazy coworkers in a professional manner. It is difficult to understand how some people can be so unacceptable to a positive change. Step 1: Think First Before Grace approached Kyle, she took time to calm down and diffuse her anger. If she doesnt understand the technical ins and outs of your product, offer to cover the part of a meeting where the features will be discussed. We won't spam or sell your data. Simply catalog what you notice and how the actions of others have affected your ability to work and the company as a whole. The key is to nip these thoughts in the bud early on and remain confident. You could suggest she reach out to another co-worker or supervisor. This tip is easy for those who can keep their cool in the workplace. Cognitive skills To interact and engage with a multicultural society, it helps to understand the basics of different cultures. 1. Companies need role players, so "find a role you can crush and crush it." If youre able to do that, then youll be able to move forward and work with your coworker on a level playing field. They will also judge you for the way you are. Sure, you may want to vent to one or two trusted colleagues, but be careful. Many studies have shown that people tend to behave in a way that is expected of them. Nitpicker isn't just a hard worker but a controlling coworker, as well. This isnt about taking time to gossip. Set expectations that both of you agree on . B. Well also included a few bonus tips and a specific strategy to successfully motivate even the laziest of colleagues. Used with permission of the publisher, AMACOM, a division of American Management Association. Speak with your coworker before inviting another person in on this conversation. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Kyle shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Seems like a simple, cost-effective solution. Test the person's awareness. This tip applies to all retail workers, but especially introverts: Don't take on customers' problems as your own. Don't be surprised by anything the person says. However you decide to deal with lazy coworkers, remember to maintain a sense of professionalism. Here are five tips for dealing with the coworker whose small-but-thoughtless behaviors make you want to pull your hair out: 1. This doesn't mean you have to cave to their assertion that you and them are equals. Being smarter than your boss doesnt mean youre going to be more effective, says Hill. When I did that project, the boss was very pleased with my work.. The Pygmalion effect in psychology has shown how believing that something is true can make it true. It is their stubborn attitude that makes it impossible for them to embrace any kind of change. Pushing them to share their feelings, or to open up about their life, will cause them to back away and trust you less. We need to take emotion out of workplace issues. You should try to master the existing conversation before trying to make it your own. I offer to help when I sense she may be struggling with a task or an idea. And when he presents an idea to more senior executives, he often gives Rose the credit or at least says that they worked on it together. and have an honest conversation with your offending colleague. Most of your coworkers are probably extremely nice and humble. For example, ask, What did you mean by that statement?. Avoid behaviors that will derail success in the workplace. You bite your tongue when he starts telling you what you already know. Not only will this hurt your reputation, it will also give your superior less of an incentive to resolve the problem. "These colleagues are so determined to score points with the boss that they block whatever you toss out for consideration and tackle you instead of the problem," she writes. Its not fair that you go above and beyond and they just skate through work. He is co-founder of Truthsayers Neurotech, the world's first Neurotech platform servicing the enterprise. This question is an excellent one because it forces the coworker to pause and think about what they have said. Choose happiness. In a recent Quora thread, "How did you adjust to working with smarter people?," users shared their best advice on how to deal with working with wildly intelligent people. Know-it-alls think they know everything. Everything is ok its a common answer to all your questions, even when in fact everything is out of control. Every conversation you have with a new coworker will bring you closer to their level. Headphones back in, volume up. Try to make the work environment as pleasant as possible for your team, especially for those in low-skilled or monotonous roles. Many people mistakenly believe that this is the easier option. Its even more frustrating when their laziness puts you in a poor position either because your workload gets bigger, or because you look bad because they arent performing adequately. Those with the questioner personality type are very much internally motivated. We can be civil to each other." Do not approach management right away. Thinking about the situation increased her confidence when she spoke to him. Yes, of course Ill agree to that. You put yourself at risk if you decide to go directly into that conflict because bosses usually win, she says. "It's much better to appear uninformed than to give the impression you know something you don't, which can come back to haunt you." (With Templates), 9 Most Sought-After Soft Skills In The Workplace, How To Tell Someone They Are Not A Team Player (Without Offending Them), 15 Insanely Useful Physical Productivity Tools You Wish You Had Sooner, 21 Best Desk Accessories For Work That Provide Organization And Functionality, 19 Most Effective Ways To Develop A Good Sense Of Humor And Impress Others, How To Tell Your Boss You Are Not Working Weekends, How to Deal with a Boss Who Keeps Dumping Work on You, 8 Ways To Respond When You Are Deliberately Excluded At Work, 14 Tips To Stop Feeling Nervous About Starting A New Job, Good Performance Review But No Raise Heres What You Should Do. Improve sensitivity to organizational and social cues. Nguyen, Never hold back questions. Some people need to believe theyre better to keep their self-esteem intact, or they may just be more qualified in one area, McKee says. Shes also filled in for the boss when hes been on vacation. Your email address will not be published. Many people in this situation make the mistake of telling others how incompetent or unqualified their boss is. Remember that even if your coworker is never dealt with by management, he or she is building a poor reputation, while you (hopefully!) Shes talked to a couple of her coworkers about it, and they feel the same. Try to replace that with gratitude for the. Theyre motivated by present desires and what they, to do. For example, if they say, I dont think thats a good idea, you may respond with, Could you specify what you dont like about the idea and why, so we can better see how to make it functional?, If their comments are more callous, you could specifically ask them why they chose to express themselves in that way. This is a result of what you know about them as well as your experiences with them at work. 1. Be honest with yourself about what skills you have and which your boss lacks. With the tips in this guide, youll soon be able to face the bad attitudes in the office with a smile. But it was quickly clear to her and her new boss that she had valuable technical skills and experience. Mikolette / Getty Images Table of Contents Definition Importance In the Workplace How to Become More Emotionally Intelligent Emotional intelligence, sometimes referred to as emotional quotient (EQ), refers to a person's ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. "These peers are resentful," Hakim writes. He looked a little peeved. You are part of a profiting and successful organisation. 5 Steps On How To Work Less And Earn More, How to Ask for a Reference (Email Templates and Examples), How Early Should You Be For An Interview: Interview Etiquette 101, Compelling Interview Presentation Topics to Showcase Your Skills, A Comprehensive Guide To Consulting Exit Opportunities [2023], How To Write A 2-Week Notice Letter? Grace has tactfully mentioned to Kyle that if she needs help shell ask him, but hes continued to treat her as though she doesnt know what shes doing. A cold person is acting cold for a reason. The simplest solution is to apologize, say that you are too backed up with your own work and then decline to help. Founder of Eggcellentwork.com. Nitpicker isnt just a hard worker but a controlling coworker, as well. Using your empathy with this person means that you try to understand where theyre coming from. Also, theres a difference between occasionally helping or covering for a colleague and doing their job for them. Id also like to know I can count on you when I need help, but unless I ask, Id like to be able to complete my projects by myself without your input. (Compromise). If you got hired with all these brainiacs, there was something about you that said more than your academic credentials." We pulled out some of the best answers and highlighted them below: Have confidence. 14.4K More answers below Quora User Middle School Counselor Author has 1.7K answers and 1.1M answer views 8 y Work very very hard to minimize defensiveness. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. This leaves your coworker to be dramatic, mean, or rude all by themselves. She fumed and decided it was time to confront him directly. Try to move the emphasis away from people and back to the issue or idea, the psychologist suggests. I just wanted to let you know how I handled it., Step 3: Define the Problem Their performance directly affects you and something needs to be done. You share the plan with your superiors, who happen to be closed-minded. My knowledge and experience on IT-related issues superseded those of my colleagues and my manager, she says. Although your coworker may not be seeking your attention specifically, they could be looking for validation from others or a sense of superiority. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, /*
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how to deal with less intelligent coworkers
