How to deal with rude people at workplace

Do you come across people at your workplace who react with anger and behave rudely with others? How do you react to their behavior, do you also get angry and get into an argument worse fight with him\her or hold a grudge forever?

If it is your senior then you tend to hold on to the grudge and rant about it to other colleagues which somewhere would impact your performance and your relation with this person and you might lose out on the next increment or appraisal.

And if the person is junior or at the same level as yours you might get into a heated argument right at the time when the other person is not in the right state of mind. Well, this would not serve any purpose as he\she would not be able to see and accept your point of view as it comes to their ego.

So fighting or reacting with anger or keeping grudges will only worsen the situation rather than resolving. Here are some ways you can deal with rude people that will not only help you but will also help the rude person.

1. Don't lose your cool - Get hold of your anger first, stay calm and try to understand what that person is trying the say and what has made him\her react this way.
2. Don't take it personally - It may not have anything to do with you, as in today's high-stress world there could be zillion other reasons for a person to lose their calm so don't take it personally.
3. Confront - Only if the person is out of the line, else refrain from it don't expect the rude behavior to change - they may be the way they are so just put your point politely and move on but refrain from any argument.
4. Objectify the situation - Evaluate from a different perspective. It would only become possible if you could detach yourself and see the situation from a different perspective.
5. Use a selective response system - Acknowledge positive responses while ignoring rude ones.
6. Understand why the person is rude - Why does he/she act this way and see what led the other person to get aggressive. It could be the way of establishing his\her authority, stress of completing a task, fear of losing their position, etc.
7. ... then address those reasons - After you understand the reason behind that person's rude behavior and then see how you can help this person get out of their constraints.
8. Ask the person how you can help - After understanding the reason behind their rude behavior, you can politely ask the person, how you can help him\her.
9. Elevate your authority with the person - Don't let the person walk over you. Once you have managed your state of mind and understood how you can help the other person, elevate your authority with the person.
10. Maintain your dignity - Other's actions should not make you feel lesser of yourself, maintain your dignity and respond appropriately.
11. Raise your consciousness - Stay conscious that you don't react but respond properly after evaluating the situation, state of mind, and ways to help the person.
12. Connect with people who can help you - You can also connect with people who can help you in helping the person improve his/her situation and find out ways to help.
13. Opt out of interaction - You don't have to get involved in interaction with such a person especially when he\she is not in control of his/her senses. Rather calmly put your point and move away and start working on your tasks.
14. Think of the times you were rude - When someone is rude to you try to self-reflect, think of the times when you were rude to someone and what was the situation that led to such rudeness. This will help you empathise with the person help you stay calm and help resolve his\her actual reason for being rude.

Focus on the positive - The best thing you can do to keep your calm is to focus on the positive side of the situation and how this will help YOU improve.

Hope you found this article helpful and will help you deal will rude people in a better way the next, do let me know your views in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Here's wishing you Good Luck!

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About Author

I am Priyanka Ramteke, Founding Director at SocialVive, a Digital Marketing Agency based in Delhi, India.

With more than a decade spent working with Government Ministries, Large Conglomerates as well as Small Businesses, I understand the needs of my clientele and help them devise customised Digital Marketing solutions that help their business expand exponentially in this digitally competitive world.

I also love to mentor young professionals and students in building a strong career and attaining new heights of success in their corporate journey.

??My expertise lies in LinkedIn Marketing, Digital Marketing, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Employee Relations and Engagement, Change Management, Conflict Management, Corporate Presentations, Career Development, and mentoring young minds for success!

Worked with Times Group, Dainik Bhaskar, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Food Processing to name a few.

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