We do not choose our colleagues and it can happen that in a work team we have to face a difficult colleague.
Aggressive, bad-tempered and distilling rumors, you are clearly in the presence of a harmful colleague.
Here are our tips for learning to manage a colleague who has chosen to adopt a bad attitude.
Talk to the person concerned:
This is the first thing to do when you notice a bad attitude on the part of one of your colleagues.
Talking often allows defuse conflicts provided you choose your words.
For that, stay cordial, anxious to understand the reasons for this behavior and that without any animosity.
It is better to go smoothly by putting on the table what is causing you problems and what has been potentially misunderstood.
If the situation persists, then it is time to quickly take protective measures.
Learn to protect yourself:
Some toxic colleagues can influence your work, your motivation and sometimes even your success.
That's why it's important to know how to protect yourself from this kind of coworker and it starts by putting a distance between you and the colleague difficult.
Never keep written records of your non-work exchanges, this situation should not be turned against you.
However, if you have mails or other writings in which your colleague uses contentious or inappropriate words, keep them, they will be of great use to you.
Do not wait to act:
The sooner you act, the more likely the situation will reach you personally and make toxic work climate.
If your superiors find that it affects you too much, your comments may lose credibility.
The idea is to seek the support of a mediator and not to want to resolve the situation alone.
Inform your hierarchy:
When the situation is no longer manageable, it is better to inform your superiors.
But before you can consult your colleagues, try to find out how their relationship with the difficult colleague unfolds.
Once you've done your little tour, alert your direct superior by first pointing out the negative effects on the work: delays in files, poor communication affecting the progress of projects, etc.
If necessary, mobilize with other colleagues: your superior will be all the more convinced of the urgency of dealing with this “file” so as not to harm the morale of the troops if several of you are complaining of bad behaviour.
