Most of us have to deal with a diverse group of employees on daily basis, and this means that you should be able to establish the right relationship with your colleagues from day one so you can get work done. But unfortunately, you don’t get to choose your coworkers and having to deal with difficult personalities is never easy as it can affect your productivity and satisfaction.  It won’t be long until you start to lose focus because your mind will become preoccupied with what to expect next from that difficult colleague. Akhtaboot highlights 4 difficult personalities of coworkers that you might run into at any workplace and how to deal with each.

The Know-It-All

Some employees believe that they need to have an answer to almost every question and they never hesitate to try to prove you wrong. Whatever might be the situation, it is always important to stay professional at all times. You have no control over your coworker’s attitude, but you have control over yours. Getting tangled in heated arguments with a “Know-it-all” is the worst thing you can possibly do as it can jeopardize your reputation and it can only make things worse.

The Oversensitive

First of all, you need to understand that people who are sensitive can process more information than average, and they reflect on it more deeply. This is not always a bad this but might put a barrier between the sensitive person and his/ her colleagues. The best way to deal with sensitive employees is to try to discuss what’s bothering the person at the moment. It doesn’t mean that you have to go completely out of your way to help; you can simply provide affirmation that you aren’t labeling him as a person but you’re simple giving constructive feedback.

The Nosy Coworker

Coworkers who are nosy like to dig deep into others personal issues – just for the sake of knowing! If you don’t prefer to respond to their questions make sure that they understand that. Highlight that this isn’t an ideal time to chat, and go over the tasks that you have on your plate to urge them to stop. Overtime, they should take the hint that you have no time to chitchat, and then, you will be able to carry on with your work as usual.

The Careless Employee

We often come across an employee who doesn’t really care about his job. This makes you even wonder about why that person was hired to begin with. But overtime, the presence of such employee within the team might take a toll on the productivity of other team members. Try to talk to the employee and highlight the aspects of his attitude and performance that need to be changed. If the quality of work of the careless employee doesn’t improve within a few days or weeks, your next step is to talk to your direct manager to discuss this matter.