Dr Prem Life A Great Life Logo-R

How to deal with stupid coworkers and guide to tackle people at workplace

How-to-deal-with-stupid-people-at-work

There will always be someone at work with whom you just can’t seem to go along. It can a narcissistic co-worker or a stubborn colleague. Sometimes, you might come across a few incessantly stupid people at your workplace. Stupid people at work are annoying and hamper the natural flow of work. These difficult people may be strict at their views and they may refuse to collaborate. One cannot just hide from such people. A relevant solution needs to be chalked out to deal with stupid people at work.

Be calm to deal with stupid people at work

Be calm

Sometimes one can encounter people who frustrate tremendously and make one feel like jumping around the room and pulling one’s hair. They also compel people to scream at the top of their voices. These types of frustrating people are termed as stupid people. Losing one’s temper is not a feasible solution to tackle with such people. One needs to be sure that the stupid person will be affected by this anger and will be forced to take some action. It should be used consciously as a strategy to move him/her to action.

It is always recommended to maintain your calm. A calm person is always seen as a controlled and centered personality. Such a person is more respected by society. A calm personality is always preferred to work with as compared to those who are short tempered. This is because; the stupid person will also get attracted to such a tranquil person if his stupid acts don’t make a difference to the calm person.

Understand the stupid person’s intentions

It is true that no one behaves like a stupid person just for the sake of being a stupid person. There is always some intention on behaving in such a manner and being so difficult at work. It is indeed very laborious to tackle such personalities but it is not really impossible. There are always some underlying reasons which encourage these stupid people to be this way. This reason is very difficult to find out. One must try to find out what all triggers the person into action. For instance, what is making him/her behave in such a manner? What is stopping him/her from cooperating? The more important part is to meet the needs of this stupid person and resolve the situation. Understanding the needs and requirements of the stupid person is very essential to deal with him/her.

Get some perspective from experienced people

Get some perspective from experienced people

It is very likely that some of your friends, colleagues or managers must have faced a similar situation in some way or the other. Their views to such situations will be from a different angle and they will be able to provide suggestions to tackle with such stupid people. It is true that experience speaks and hence in this circumstance, the experienced person will be the right one to chalk out a solution to deal with a stupid person at work. One must approach these people and narrate the entire story and get suggestions from them. One may never know that the experienced person’s advice may work wonders.

Treat the stupid person with respect

With computers and emails, works eventually turn out to be a mechanical process. One needs to re-install the human touch by interacting with colleagues at a personal level. Eating out with them will be a helpful idea. One needs to delve into their personal lives and learn about their hobbies, families and make strong bonds with them. Nobody likes to be treated as stupid. If one treats a person with disrespect then it is very likely that the person will behave in the same manner as well. It is correctly said that do unto others as you would want them to do unto you€. If the stupid person is given respect then he/she will be compelled to reciprocate in the same manner. This will, in turn, make it easy for people to deal with stupid people at work.

The last option to deal with stupid people at work- ignore

ignore

Even after trying all the above-mentioned strategies, if the stupid person at work is still not receptive then the best way is to ignore him/her. Now, that person is beyond control and is not tolerable. He/she must be simply ignored. One should interact with such stupid people only when it is very much required, otherwise you can ignore them. This interaction in some cases cannot be avoided if the stupid person plays a major role in one’s work. Eventually when every other solution fails, one must escalate to a higher authority for help and suggestions.

How to deal with other types of coworkers

It is not only the stupid coworkers that hamper your work flow. In the corporate world, you will have to deal with different kinds of coworker with different nature, so you should opt for the professional and calm way to deal with your coworkers. To accomplish your professional goals, you should remember the following points while dealing with coworkers.

Be patient while dealing with an arrogant coworker

Be patient while dealing with an arrogant coworker

Ego is one of the main reasons of arrogance, and an arrogant coworker generally disregards others feelings and display a lack of emotional intelligence and maturity. However, dealing with such people in the same arrogant way is not the answer to this problem. If you behave arrogantly, then this will block your mind psychologically and you will not be able to be successful.

You have to show patience as well as self-control to deal with arrogant coworkers. The better way to deal with arrogant coworkers is to identify them and avoid such people as far as possible, as this will help you to protect your stand. Confronting with arrogant people will make you look like them only and it will harm your reputation in your workplace as well.

Defuse jealousy of jealous coworkers

jealous coworker

If you see a jealous coworker, then you should also check yourself to see whether you have any negative traits, which might give people reason to dislike you. In such a case, you should change your behavior and be cordial with your coworkers. You should try to build self-esteem of your coworkers. Try not to enter into a fight with your colleagues, as this is bad for your sanity. Jealousy can also lead to tension among coworkers.

For dissolving the tension and jealousy, you should involve your coworkers in your work, and enter into conversations that can help to build good relations in your workplace. Proper communication can solve tensed matters between you and your coworker easily. Starting a conversation on work-related issues can be a good start. Ask for their views and listen to what they say.

Control your anger

Control your anger

There can be many situations in your place of work, when you feel hurt or insulted because of a coworker. However, an anger outburst will make the situation even worse. Therefore, the best way is to get past your anger and cover your feelings. Getting your feelings and anger can lead you to more trouble. Sometimes, when you feel bad about something, talk directly to the concerned person, instead of lashing out at other people who approach you.

At times, it is good to be the better person and the professional one to deal with coworkers in unpleasant situations. If you are courteous and polite towards your coworkers, then this will leave a positive impact and influence on others working with you. Controlling anger can also help in reducing friction amid you and your coworker and will establish a professional relationship in place of adversarial encounters.

Do not keep yourself isolated

Do not keep yourself isolated

Isolating yourself from a troubling coworker is also not an ideal solution to deal with coworkers in your workplace. When you avoid a coworker and keep yourself away, then you might hurt your own esteem in the organization. When things do not work out between you and your coworker, then this creates a more awkward situation. You should keep the conversations on, as this is the better way to address such problems.

Let your coworker know about the problems that you are facing. This will give you a chance of improving your relation with your coworker. While talking with your coworker, be professional and stick to facts only and never let your emotions overcome your professionalism. Sometimes, an honest feedback can make other realize their own mistakes and can thus set things right for you.

Get the facts right and limit your conversation

limit your conversation

If you are first one to approach your coworker with an issue, then try to limit your conversation and make it to the point. Remember, that when you work with others at the same place, direct communication becomes indispensable at some level. Close your conversation at the right time and get back to work soon. If the issue is big enough to report it to your boss, then you should make sure that you address the correct issue.

Do some homework, and pick the right facts and then schedule a meeting with your manager. Bring up an issue, only if you wish to correct it. If you do this just for the sake of complaining, then this will alienate your coworker and will create a very stressed and bad environment in your workplace. If a coworker criticizes your work, then do not take that personally. Thus, you will be able to keep up your self-respect.

Before you go…

If you ever get into conflict or discord with stupid people at work, here are some ways in which you effectively tackle it. Read on to know more.

Tips to tackle workplace discord to improve your work and life

Sometimes you can’t avoid getting scrappy with one of your co-workers but you have to face more devastating results if you do not learn the art of handling issue with your colleagues. Remember that we spend a good amount to time at our office and what we deal with in our office affects our life, which has a direct influence on the life and happiness of our family too. Here are a few tips that can give you the insight to resolve issues at your workplace.

Analyze

we all are not alike

You need to understand the fact that “we all are not alike.” Each one of us all comes from different socio-economic background having different values in life. Analyze the situation, whenever you get into a clash with your colleague. What is it that actually triggers the conflict? Be aware of all the behavior patterns that initiate the conflict. Be honest to yourself since once you get a clear picture of it, you can easily achieve a compromise to work together. Remember, that a bad day spent in office can easily spoil a beautiful evening that you could spend with family or friends.

Stay calm all the time

Stay calm all the time

You can’t make wise decisions when you get carried away with emotions. Staying calm would never let you get into a conflict with your coworker in the first place. Even then, if you get into a clash, your calm attitude would give you a better insight into yourself and you can easily sort out the conflict. No one can ever get an upper hand by using foul language or showing temperament. The rule stands true for both personal as well as professional life.

Watch your language

Watch your language

Our language or communication has a lot to do a lot with the environment. Professional life comes with so many untold realities and commitments. Communicating politely is included in that. Come what may, using non-confrontational language is a must for professional life. You can’t impose your judgments on others as it would further create problems. Never say or do anything for which you regret later on.

Mutual consent  

I win, you lose

Even if you get success in proving that it was your colleague’s fault, you can hardly create harmony at your workplace. Remember that proving someone wrong in professional life would not make things better for you. You are dealing with human beings, not facts or ideas. The best solution is to compromise on common ground. “I win, you lose” theory does not work; it will not diffuse conflicting situations. Compromising  is often a more effective approach to foster a healthy work environment.

Do not make it public

Do not make it public

Do not make your conflict with your colleague, the big news of the day in office. Never make it sound like a big deal. It is a bad idea since it would lead to different rumors, that mostly give the wrong details. Try to resolve the conflicts in private by having a one to one communication. Give an equal chance to the other person to give their part of the story. Listen patiently and empathies to better understand the situation.

Your work environment decides your productivity, job satisfaction and the vibes you take back home. Remember the office environment is no less important than your home environment as we tend to carry all that happens in office back to home. Your clash and disagreements with your coworkers have nothing to do with you being right or wrong, the idea is to achieve a harmony that brings a sense of accomplishment to all involved.

Recent Articles:

Scroll to Top