Annoying_Co-worker

Ghouls and Goblins In The Workplace

Wikipedia: A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous creature.

They are attributed with various (sometimes conflicting) abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little creatures somewhat related to the brownie and gnome.


Hello Monday Motivators!

Do you encounter people in the workplace who annoy you? Or you find it difficult to work with? I have been in the workplace for 40+ years and I have encountered various difficult personality types. But I learned many years ago, how to actually get along with them.

Since this is the beginning of the month of Halloween (which I still love, even as an adult), I thought I would focus on the “ghouls and goblins” in the workplace. In my Star Achievement Series® classes, I refer to them as the office dragons but let’s stick with the Halloween theme for now.

While I am sure you get along with most people, I know you meet individuals who can be, shall we say, irritating—they either talk too much, or too little; they are passive, wishy-washy, or aggressive; they can be an Edward Expert who thinks he knows everything.

Here are a few tips:

1.   With Edward Expert, he is probably insecure and has a need to be included. You should talk to Edward as soon as you have had enough of his oozing but be professional. You can say something like (in a nice tone), “Edward, I’m amazed at how much you know. Where did you learn so much?” Or you can say, “Edward I appreciate all your knowledge, and here is what I have observed…”

2.   If you meet Rodney Rule Stretcher, approach him after you have gathered all the facts. You would use a serious tone and sit directly across from him. Share the information you have gathered. Try to get Rodney to explain why he feels the need to break the Rules. If Rodney goes too far, you may need to involve Human Resources.

3.   Cathy Complainer is never happy. Meet her in a private area. Share with her the negative impact her behavior and constant complaining has on you or coworkers and if it affects her own performance. Maybe give her some encouraging words (and refer her to some educational tools).

4.   Bertha Bully – you will have to watch the video to find out what to do with this special Ghoul! If you can’t view it at work, then watch it at home.

Often these difficult people types are just being themselves. They do not view themselves as “being difficult.” We think they are challenging to deal with because they are not like us (the pleasant people). Yes, they can be annoying but they will be much less annoying if you learn how to communicate with them and understand that they may have underlying issues that create this behavior.

Good luck!

Joan

Learn how to deal with the office bully.

READ SIMILAR POSTS

Like this article? Share it!

Scroll to Top

Join Our Administrative Community

Join a community of administrative professionals who have taken advantage of our free career development tools. You will receive FREE ACCESS to Webinars, Monday Motivators, Special Discounts, Email Announcements, and much more!
By filling out this form and clicking submit, I agree to receive emails from Office Dynamics International. You may unsubscribe at any time from the bottom of our emails.