Business and Marketing

Business Breaking News: Difficult Co-Worker? Don't Get Defensive

Every office has at least one employee or boss who can't seem to get along with anyone. Whether this person actively antagonizes co-workers or simply has a difficult personality, he or she can strain workplace relationships and, in some cases, impede productivity for other employees.

If a colleague is getting in the way of your daily tasks, the first thing you should do is determine whether that person's behavior is actual bullying or if there's just a communication barrier. With the latter, the problem can usually be remedied by changing your perspective, said Kerry Preston, co-author of "Enhancing Your Executive Edge" (McGraw-Hill, 2014) and a partner at professional development organization Image Dynamics.

"Do not let [co-workers] live rent-free in your brain and hurt your edge because they are difficult to work with," Preston told Business News Daily. "Think about your goal when communicating with them and separate your goal from the personality. Learn their style and how to adapt to reach your goal in each situation."

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