Have you ever had to work with someone you don't like?
There could be many reasons why you might not like some people, but you still have to work closely and interact with them.
With some patience and understanding, working with people you don't like can become more bearable, productive and even enjoyable!
Find Common Ground
The key to effectively working with people you don't like is to find some common ground with these people.
If you have different views, find something you both agree on such as a hobby, goals, motivation for participating, or habits!
Look For Different Ways To Communicate
If someone actively gets in the way of your productivity and happiness, try to communicate through email or text if possible.
If you're dealing with someone problematic in a workplace, emails can document their behaviour. If an unfortunate situation requires Human Resources support, you'll have evidence.
Delegate Tasks
If you don't enjoy working with certain people on a project, separate tasks if possible and delegate the work among the team.
You'll be in charge of your task and can focus without being distracted by conflict or opposition.
View It As An Opportunity To Grow
Working with someone you don't like is a skill to develop. Learn to adapt and get comfortable being uncomfortable!
If someone puts you down in order to make themselves look better, don't retaliate. Bad behaviour usually comes to light.
Learn About The People You Don't Like
Sometimes people are hard to work with because they are dealing with difficult situations that may not be obvious.
The more we know about someone, the easier it is to understand why they have characteristics we don't like.
Understanding someone likely won't change their behaviour, but it can help you, and could even make you end up liking someone you thought you wouldn't!
Quiz
You and Nikita are working on a college course project. Nikita insists on controlling everything. How should you approach this situation?
Check Your Own Behaviour
Ask yourself what you don't like about the person. Is it something specific? Is it just because they are different than you?
We all have hidden biases. It's important to consider how these might influence our opinions of other people.
Focus on someone's behaviours, rather than their individual traits. We are all unique!
Take Action
We all wish we could be around people we really like all the time but it's not possible! It's important to be able to collaborate with people we don't like.
Be the adult in the room: you don't have to be best friends, but be kind, polite and respectful of others.
Don't gossip about people: it won't help your reputation, chances of being promoted, or your relationship with the person you're gossiping about.
Next time you're in a situation with someone you don't like, look at it as a challenge and apply some of these tips!
Your feedback matters to us.
This Byte helped me better understand the topic.