Ugh – that two hour Monday morning meeting is coming fast. Not only do you have to waste two hours of the most productive time of the day, you also have to sit face-to-face with your arch enemy. The mere thought of spending that much time with someone you loathe makes you want to crawl under your desk and pretend you’re not at work. There are some techniques that can help you get through that meeting and even come out a better person for it. Here are our favorite strategies.
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Manage your reactions.
You have absolutely no control over what another person says or does, but you do have complete control over your own reactions. Think before you instantly react to something they say that makes your blood boil. Take a moment, breathe deeply, and consider whether or not your statement will be helpful or constructive. If not, let it go.
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Don’t make your feelings public.
Even if you don’t like someone for a very good reason, it is much better for the sake of your work to keep your feelings to yourself. Don’t point out your feelings, especially in the meeting. If you do want to address the elephant in the room, do so with either the person you dislike or your supervisor away from the entire office.
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Take responsibility.
Maybe you own some of this negative relationship. It could be time to look at the situation objectively and try to determine if you have played any significant part is creating this problem. If so, do take responsibility for your actions. It can help smooth things over or at least make these situations more tolerable.
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Provide feedback.
When confronted by someone you don’t like in the context of a meeting, sometimes the best defense is offering constructive feedback during the meeting. It is okay to disagree. If there is something being discussed that you believe would negatively impact the organization, feel free to state your reasons why. But do so in a positive, constructive way and offer solutions rather than complaints.
Do you have some constructive ideas to deal with a disliked coworker? The team at ProSource Staffing wants to hear from you!