There is a great post on workplace jerks and bullies on the human resource blog - one thing it doesn’t address is that some companies foster bullying and jerk behavior. If you are in that environment, look for a company that embraces the principles in the post.
Here is a up-and-coming site I contribute to- check out some of the other contributors on Master the Business.com, you’ll find useful business info and advice on A LOT of topics. And please let me know what you think.
Dealing with difficult people. Enough said.
Corey Smith spotted this piece. I think he was hinting at something…
Subtle abuse from so-called superiors is one of the most deadly yet unchecked maladies in the workforce today. Check out these eight tips on how to deal with a difficult boss.
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“There are certain civilized ways of treating each other that years of evolution have encouraged us to realize. Apparently, some of us have forgotten our workplace manners.”
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Change. Learning how to help someone accept change is a tool for dealing with others and making yourself easier to deal with. Read what the innovator has to say about change.
Yesterday I helped a client with an Excel spreadsheet that her boss wants them to take over. They even sent them to my Excel class to help them, and she learned the basics of Excel and can understand the mechanics of the boss’s spreadsheet, but we still were missing the most important component to using the sheet- a clear, written procedure and explanation of the purpose, constraints and data.
Your sheet should be cleary labeled and explained with comments, along with a flowchart explaining how to update the sheet.
Armed with a process flowchart, comments explaining the data and formulas, and an understanding of the purpose of the sheet, others can maintain sheets and even improve them. It’s up to the boss to provide comprehensive training- written comprehensive training. Sending your empoyee to an Excel class is a smart move, it teaches them “to drive” but don’t expect them to drive to Vermont without a map.
Some people are overly irritated at delays or errors caused by others. Many people pride themselves on being ”practical”, “systematic” or ”efficient.” They see situations like this - “We want to do this, this and this, and so-and-so was late and now we are innefficient.” The person may then become angry with the human factor and fume, complain, and criticize. These people claim they are just being logical- but is it logical to ignore all the pieces of the puzzle and still expect a perfect picture to result?
I am speaking about people who have a disproportionate response- the one’s that can tolerate machine failure, weather delays, tsunami’s, etc. but don’t have any empathy for the individual who didn’t live up to their mechanical standards.
Back to their so-called logic. The flaw in their reasoning is this: they forget the human variable in their calculations. Suppose the solution to a problem is the following formula:
A+B+C = The Solution.
A is the product or service.
B is the process.
C is the person(s) involved.
We’ll give each a value of 1.
So, the distortion happens when people see the formula as “A+B” and forget “C”. In other words, 1+1 = Solution. Well, had they used the complete formula it would be 1+1+1= 3. “3″ is the number needed. “2″ is the number they calculated would work BUT IT DIDN’T. They forgot the human variable “C”.
What happens when we don’t factor in the human variable? We get frustrated with “C”. We may only see the tangible mistakes. We may forget that if we criticize someone, they are less effective on the job. Instead of a value of “1″, our person may now be only a value of “.5″ and we will fall short of the needed result. We lower our own value when we become innapropriately frustrated with others. We need to keep our morale up, others morale up, and preserve the relationship even if it means overlooking human error when appropriate.
The point is this: when someone takes a step backward, don’t overreact and turn it into TWO steps backward. After all, that’s only logical.
Read Managing the Alpha Male by Inside Training to get some insight on someone most of us work with or for.
While personality tests such as the Color Code, the Enneagram and my favorite, Myers-Briggs, are helpful for understanding how people work and smoothing interaction at work and home, they are not meant to be omnipotent.
People can act in generalized ways that can be categorized. The key word is “can.” People don’t always act in their percieved category. Beyond randomness of choice there are other factors that cannot be ignored- namely physical, emotional, and mental health.
If we are physically sick we may have too much “noise” from the pain and too little energy and desire to always act in consistent ways. Some do manage to do so regardless of pain or illness, but as most of us know, this is very hard to do.
With emotional pain, disruptive thinking patterns or life experience the pain, thoughts, or conditioning we have gone through override our natural tendencies.
Mental health factors such as Attention-Defecit Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Bi-Polar/Manic Depression can radically alter our natural reactions. Even if you are healthy, chances are you work with someone with a mental disorder of some kind, whethere they are diagnosed or not. Many people with Asperger’s Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, are naturally drawn to seek employment in the High-Tech fields. Obsessive-Compulsive people are drawn to positions of power.
Think of a personality test as a way to generally categorize the healthy tendencies of people and not as a complete picture.