Tips To Help You Navigate Difficult Work Relationships

Are you working with a difficult person? We've got good news, you don't need to quit. Today we'd like to share some tips you can use to help you successfully navigate difficult or toxic work relationships.

One of the biggest challenges we will face in our career is working in toxic environments or with individuals with whom we do not get along. Difficult work relationships can negatively impact our motivation. And can lead to an increase in absenteeism, stress and a decrease in morale. In fact, many of our clients come to us because they are at the point of quitting their jobs because of relationships at work.?

At times quitting might seem like the best option. However, financial restrictions, issues within the job market or other personal reasons may mean that this alternative is not always feasible.?

So what else can you do??

Here is some advice that we got from Soul Career executive coach Beatriz de la Poza during our latest podcast episode Soul Career Ep027: How Executive Coaching Can Propel Your Career.

In instances where changing jobs is not an option, Beatriz recommends that you ask yourself one question:

"What can I learn from this?"

She suggests that we view negative or stressful interactions with our colleagues as a learning opportunity rather than a burden. To illustrate, she shared an experience from her career where she struggled to work with a difficult colleague. She admits that this experience took a drastic toll on her both mentally and emotionally and almost led her to leave a job and company that she loved. Instead, she viewed her circumstances as a challenge and developed skills to manage the situation, including changing her communication style and being more strategic in her interactions. Her approach ultimately worked and enabled her to stay with a company she enjoyed and hone a skill set she could use in subsequent interactions with others.

But what if this doesn't apply to you? What are some other things you can do? Here are three more tips we think you could try:

Try to see your counterpart as a person:?Ask yourself if this individual may have underlying reasons for their behaviour. Do they have needs that are not being met? Do they feel as if they are not being heard or taken seriously in the organization? Try to see things from their perspective and consider ways that you can provide them with support.

Consider your contribution to the relationship: We all see ourselves as the hero of our stories. However, you need to take a step back and consider how you may be contributing to difficult relationships. Is the problem your counterpart's actions or your interpretation of their action and your resulting reaction??

Share your intentions: Many times we keep our perspective of a situation to ourselves. But you need to remember that people can only see an issue from their perspective and cannot know your intentions unless you share them. Letting your counterpart know the background and reasons behind your actions can bring him\her to your side.?

Focus on what you can control: Consider your goals for your career and what you would like to accomplish in the short and long term. When you focus on your goals issues such as workplace conflict can become less important as you work to make your dreams a reality.

When necessary ask for help: You may want to resolve issues yourself, but when all else fails, do not be afraid to ask for help. For example, Beatriz solicited support from a coach to help her prepare for difficult conversations with her counterpart and choose coping strategies. As a last resort, you could consider escalating the issue to someone in authority within the organization.??

Negative interactions have the ability to drastically alter our psyche, productivity, focus and even our emotional well-being. And while we love to share advice and tips with our clients, it's important to note that our experiences are highly individual and there is no 'one-size-fits-all approach to solving our problems. This is why executive coaching is so important. Your coach can listen to your situation and support you in finding a solution that fits your needs. If you are interested in learning more about executive coaching at Soul Career or any of our training programs contact us to schedule a free consultation. We'd love to hear from you!