Professional Communication Presentation

So happy, I have just completed one more assignment today!!!
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Yes it's over for Professional Communication in this semester. 1 resume writing, 1 presentation and class participation make up of 100 marks for this subject. Indeed I enjoy every class and the tutor, Miss Khoo has really done a good job. Although I feel she is a bit exagerated in teaching, but she is always able to capture our attention.
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Overall I am satisfied with my performance and the feedbacks from tutor are positive. ; ) I feel quite good when my effort is being paid off.

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I would like to share with you what I have presented today. Personally I think this is a very useful topic and some of the tips may help you.

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Managing Difficult Co-Workers in Project

The focus of my presentation will be on how to manage different types of difficult co-workers. Co-workers, they have complementary skills and hold mutual accountability to work for the common purpose of the project. Most of the times, there will be one leader to keep the project heading right direction. But there is also possibility that team members have shared leadership and everyone is on the same level of responsibility.

We shall look at three types of difficult co-workers, namely the credit grabbers, the Know-It-Alls and the complainers.

Firstly, the credit grabbers. The primary goal of the credit grabbers, is to appear no less than perfect in the eyes of the bosses. Typically, they will interact well in a group setting, but will be quick to answer all questions and display ultimate knowledge. So basically they do not acknowledge the contributions from other co-workers and accept all the praise for a project without mentioning that they didn't do it alone. Eventually they take the final credit in front of the boss.

So to deal with them, the first time this happens, consider it a mistake. Start by simply asking for appropriate behavior. Mention it to the credit grabbers and ask them to let others know about your participation. The trick here is not to put the other person on the defensive by asking angrily “I hate it when you take credit for things that I’ve done”. Instead, stay calm and non accusatory. When you approach them, you focus on the action, not the person. If this happens again, make sure you let others know about the role you played in getting a project done.

The second type of difficult co-worker, is the know-it-all. The know-it-alls are valuable employees because they have considerable knowledge, but they are also one of the most difficult to get along with. They tend to override others’ opinions and can have a superior attitude. They decrease your confidence and make it difficult to get task done. The real problem with this employee occurs when they are wrong. The know-it-all feels personally insulted when they are overruled.

To deal with this colleague, do your work correctly. If you do not, they will label you as incompetent. Do not challenge them; ask for explanations, ideas, and plans. If the problem continues, it's best to go right to your boss with this. Let the boss have a gentle discussion with the know-it-all as this type is particularly sensitive and feels that they are complete in job performance.

Lastly, we shall look at complainers. The complainers complain about everything from working conditions to the amount of work. They tend to make people around them unhappy at work. Negative people are highly contagious and one chronic complainer can cause low morale in the team. The only good thing about complainers is, they may help by pointing out problems that could be overlooked, though this co-worker probably never suggests a solution.

What do complainers seek for? When your co-worker complain again, what’s the best to say?

“You know, that sounds terrible. I don’t know how you deal with all of these problems.”

So you’re not saying “Yes, I agree that’s a huge problem”. And you’re certainly not saying “Oh, poor thing” in a sarcastic voice. You’re just acknowledging the fact that this is a huge problem for that person.

This approach works because it gives the complainers what they really after: Empathy. He just needs your understanding. Bear in mind that be sincere when you say this to them. This approach also keeps you from being part of a vicious cycle of responses that just makes the complainers complain more and more and more. The cycle is cut at the point you take their distress seriously.

All the tips I have mentioned are helpful when dealing with difficult co-workers. Anyway if the friendly and polite one-on-one does not bring positive changes, the last option is to bring up the issue with your boss.