Do you really love every type of tea?

Probably not – we all know some are yum and others, hmm… just aren’t as delicious.

There are also many different types of people in the world! And you don’t have to like every single person. After all, you’re only human.

However, a conflict at work can make your life difficult. If you’re trying to avoid bumping into somebody who, well, ‘isn’t your cup of tea’, simply avoiding them will only affect and limit your abilities within the workplace.

Of course, your job would be a whole lot easier if you liked everyone on your team, but this won’t always be the case.

Here’s some helpful tips to get you through your day:

Know It’s OK Not To Like Everyone

You may grit your teeth or roll your eyes, but its healthy for a team to have people with different points of view. While your friends will gravitate towards you and be nice, they might not deliver bad news or provoke or challenge certain thoughts. These insights can help move your team towards success.

Understand Your Emotions

Understanding your “EQ” (that is, “emotional intelligence”) is just as important as your “IQ”.

Emotional intelligence underpins our capacity to work well with others, manage stress and make effective decisions. It’s crucial to learn how to handle your frustration.

Remember: it’s far easier to change your perspective than to ask someone else to be a different kind of person.

Don’t Take It Personally

You don’t have to marry them!

Talk It Out

Try and talk to the person who is making your life hard.

If you are going to take a more direct approach to managing conflict at work, it’s important to stay calm and ask for their opinion and input. Be a good listener and look to see things from their perspective.

There’s Always Another Day

Let it go. No one is 100% annoying – yet it’s easy to see the best in your favourites and the worst in people who bother you. “Assume the best, focus on what they’re good at, and how they can help your team”, says Robert Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University.

Do Small Favours & Offer Your Help

A critical part of the hiring criteria for many companies is for the candidate to have the ability to work as a team player – yet, so many of us have colleagues who don’t play well with others. Offer your help and spend more time together. This might sound like the last thing you want to hear, but sometimes strong medicine is the most effective cure. “Over time, if you work together more closely you may come to appreciate them,” says Sutton.

Keep An Open Mind

People are not born mean or to be mean to one another.

There’s often some background as to why a person is acting the way they are. So, keep an open mind, don’t let your distaste show, and try putting yourself in their shoes – they might be going through something which is causing them pain on the inside.

I believe it starts with you. Spread as much love into the world as possible – because only you can truly make yourself happy!

Love,
A
xxx