According to an American Psychological Association (APA) poll, three-quarters of those surveyed list work issues as the source of the most stress in their life. My practice certainly reflects this. More specifically, clients report difficult situations with a colleague as magnifying their stress.
These vicious work relationships, if left unchecked, can spiral out of control and lead to tremendous tension, wreaking havoc on a person that goes beyond their work life. By taking a few steps you can learn to squelch such relationships you might have with a colleague.
The most difficult people to work with are narcissists who are just teeming with ego and are bullies. This type of employee is ego-centric, thinks the world resolved around him/her, and as a result, lacks the ability to view things from anyone's point of view but their own. There's also a persistent need to always be right. This employee has a reckless disregard for others, and uses intimidation to get what he or she wants.
Here's how to deal with the workplace bully:
- Evaluate the situation. Is the person being mean and nasty towards everyone, or is it targeted towards you only? If the person is generally unpleasant and simply not a nice person to be around, that's one thing so try not to personalize it. As a group, you and your colleagues may want to bring it to the attention of human resources and let them handle it. If though the actions are geared towards you alone then the situation should be handled differently. Take a step back and look at what's going on.
For more tips on fearless living check out my book Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days.