We all should be “team players” but you don’t need to like your teammates to succeed. What you should do depends on why you dislike your colleagues and the degree. There’s no good, one size fits all answer.
Before the Covid pandemic, when offices were full, the fact people couldn’t get along could be a problem. There are many benefits to working from home. One of them may be much less exposure to co-workers you dislike. But if you need to return to your workplace, at least on a part-time basis, this issue may return.
Should I Get Another Job?
Depending on your animosity and how much you need to work with those you don’t like, you may be able to get through this. Your employer could be one happy family, but that’s not realistic. Your tolerance may depend on the job’s attractiveness and your need to work. It could be:
Leaving your job is an option. You must look at how the stress caused by your co-workers impacts your work and life:
Even if you leave, there’s no guarantee the situation will improve with your next employer.
The Personality Conflict
Are your co-workers annoying because they talk too much or never talk at all? Do they pry into your personal life or tell you too much about theirs? Perhaps you must isolate yourself from these people when you’re not working directly with them.
Try to understand this is just how these people are, accept the fact they irritate you and focus on their good qualities. You can pick your friends, but, like family members, you can’t choose your co-workers. Maybe someone’s miserable because they’re getting divorced. The person who talks too much may be lonely.
The Co-Worker Not Pulling Their Weight
Is your dislike less a personality conflict and more the fact they’re not doing a good job, impacting what you do? Document what’s going on and discuss the problem with your supervisor. Be concrete and specific. This is what Bill did, or that is what he didn’t do. As a result, I had to do this, or I couldn’t do that, so the client suffered.
Hopefully, your supervisor will take action, and Bill will improve or be replaced. If he’s someone your boss is unwilling or unable to deal with, you must decide if the problem is important enough, it’s time to go, or this is something you can live with.
The Human Tumor Sucking the Life Out of the Office
The dislike may be more fundamental. The co-worker may be a dishonest, bigoted, back-stabbing narcissist who hopes to move up in the organization by throwing others under the company bus. They not only bring down others, they harm the company. The more you must deal with them, the bigger the problem.
If you’ve had enough, keep your head low, document the lies and destruction they’re causing, and bring up the person with human resources. You’re better off if they address the issue and fire the person. If he’s demoted or disciplined, assume his new purpose in life will be to make you miserable.
If your employer has no problem with this co-worker and enables their behavior, it’s time to move on. A transfer away from this person may be a solution, or you may want a new employer to escape this dysfunctional company culture.
Take the Next Step. Contact Skill Connect 360
Skill Connect 360 can help you find an excellent position that’s a good fit for you, your goals, and the employer. Call us today at 212-507-9350 or fill out our contact form to start the conversation.
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