We spend a large amount of hours at the office throughout our lives and sometimes office politics and arguments at work are inevitable. It doesn’t matter if you are in a telemarketing agency or work at the largest law firm, every company has its office environment. The environment may not be interactive, but if you are in a team of staff or even in a small company of three, there is potential for an office grudge. We are human and we all love it when things go our own way or as planned. Also as humans, we all make mistakes whether in our personal lives or at work.
Have you noticed that your colleague has stopped talking to you at the water cooler or sitting with you at lunch? Or has the chef at the restaurant you work at stopped offering you further learning opportunities within the kitchen? Whatever the case, an office grudge is not a fun situation. There are ways to get through this type of dreaded situation and regain the peace within your daily office atmosphere. Here is how to handle an office grudge.
Address the Individual
If you are worried that someone may resent you or hold an office grudge, talk to them. Do this in a mature and private manner. Approach the individual and ask them if they are upset with you and if so, how can you improve the relationship between the two of you. There is a chance that the person who seems to hold an office grudge might pretend nothing is wrong and still treat you the same way. At this point you really have to let go as you did the right thing by acknowledging you might have upset them and you are the better person for trying to improve it.
Allow Space
If you detect that someone is holding an office grudge and you have already asked them if something was bothering them, allow them some space. People tend to come around after they have time away from the person that upset them. Let them cool off and they will work through their own issues in time. They might approach you after time to tell you what bothered them, but by then they most likely will have detached themselves from the issue and upset.
Active Listening is Key
If your office grudge holder needs to speak to you about an issue that is bothering them, listen. Actively listen to what they are trying to express and try not to interrupt if you do not agree. By giving them your time and acknowledging their need for expression you might find the issue will be laid to rest sooner than you thought. After all, everyone, whether at home or in the office, wants to feel heard and that they are also worthy of an opinion on a matter
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