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Throughout your career, you will be working with a variety of different personality types. When you click with your co-workers, everything comes easier. You enjoy the time you spend with them. You value their opinion when you’re working on something. But what happens when your co-workers are difficult, and you find yourself wondering if this is all truly worth it? Before you do something drastic, like quit, consider these tips for working better with difficult people.

Acknowledge Their Feelings

Empathy is an important skill to cultivate not only in the workplace but also throughout your life. Before you confront a challenging co-worker, think about the situation from their perspective. Try to put yourself in their shoes and when you begin any discussion with them, acknowledge their feelings as you discuss the solution to the problem at hand. This will help in disarming the difficult people in your workplace.

Ask the Question You Want Answered

So many of us are worried about confrontation, it’s caused everyone to be more passive aggressive. But clear, direct communication is still better overall when it comes to getting the results you want. So rather than trying to soften a question or request, simply ask and be clear about your intentions.

Establish Professional Boundaries

It’s okay for you to determine that there are certain discussion topics that are off limits or certain difficult people you don’t need to spend a lot of time with. Professional boundaries are important. For example, if someone constantly asks you to take over portions of their project, feel free to say no and explain why you will be unable to accommodate them.

Don’t Give In to Office Politics

Finally, you want to make sure that you stay out of office politics. All the rumor mill does is breed negative interactions. It can exacerbate your experience with co-workers you already have a difficult relationship with. When you’re being asked to participate in gossip, politely decline and remove yourself from the conversation. This is the easiest way to coexist with difficult people.

Do you want to know more ways to get along with difficult people or make a change? Contact the team at Harvard Resource Solutions, now hiring for jobs in Southeastern MI.