Working eight hours straight can already be very exhausting and stressful; the last thing you need is to add more stress around the workplace than is humanly necessary. All you want is harmony with your colleagues and a peaceful working atmosphere. You wish! What if your co-workers are actually the source of additional stress? Here are 5 things that co-workers do to annoy you and some suggestions on how to deal with them.

1. Putting the blame on you. Co-workers, especially those who belong to the same department as you do and who are trying to impress the boss real hard have the tendency to blame others for their mistakes. Sometimes that person might be you. Confronting them won’t accomplish anything, however; they can easily wash their hands or feign innocence and deny their part in the mistake. Plus, you’d be weighed down by the burden of proving yourself innocent. Let it go (at least the first time) but be watchful. Don’t give them the chance to do the same thing to you twice. Document your participation in all your projects, and show exactly what you did and what the outcomes were. No one can point the finger at you if you have done your job and have proof of it.

2. Carrying the weight of others. You’re supposed to have the same workload and fair share of responsibilities. So why are you doing their tasks? Some co-workers can be very irresponsible and you feel obliged to absorb their tasks, especially with group projects that are nearing the deadline. You have more important concerns other than covering up for a negligent colleague. Try the diplomatic approach first; have a private conversation with this co-worker and firmly tell them you won’t be doing their job next time.

3. Loud and always chattering. Who wants a workmate that incessantly chats loudly on the phone, or consistently laughing out loud? It’s good to have co-workers that liven up the workspace but if it happens all the time, it can become unbearable. Try a tactful reminder to respect other people’s space and take it somewhere else if they can’t help themselves. It just might work.

4. Bullying/Harassment. It’s fine to tease each other occasionally, but if you have people in the office who think that part of their job is to tease and torment you all the time, that’s a different story. Bullies are also present in the workplace. They are mostly attention-seekers; once they notice they’re not getting any reaction from you, they will eventually stop harassing you.

5. Taking credit for your efforts. When the boss praises your group for a job well-done, everyone gets fair share of credit, right? Well, not always. Some co-workers make it sound like they’re solely responsible for the success and shamelessly take credit for your work. When this happens, calm yourself down and think of the best way to talk to this person about your displeasure and ask that the misrepresentation be corrected. If this doesn’t work, there’s always the HR Department where you can discuss the matter and make sure you have documented proof of your accomplishments. It’s all talk unless you have something to show for it.

No matter how exasperated you feel, don’t let anger or stress get the better of you. Remember to deal with the situation logically and maintain your professionalism. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment and act on impulse. When you can ignore your annoying co-workers, your next best defense is to document all your actions. That’s the best protection you have.

Tags: job, job tips, jobs, Personal Branding, professional

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 at 8:26 am and is filed under Free Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.