Mishandling a situation in the workplace can have disastrous effects on your career, including limiting your upward mobility. Yet, many people just don’t know the best ways to manage a situation without making it worse for themselves or others. You can use this guide to navigate difficult situations in the workplace so you can maintain your professionalism.
Don’t Engage in Office Politics
There’s no good way to deal with office politics. When you try to navigate these situations, even your best intentions can lead you into a difficult situation. You’ll end up leaving someone feeling betrayed or emotionally wounded, which can lead to even more difficulties in performing your routine tasks. The best solution is to avoid getting involved in office politics by separating yourself from the divisive cliques that are present in the workplace.
Dealing With Toxicity
Even in a workplace where there’s a positive work culture, there’s likely to be at least one toxic individual. Rather than feeding into that person’s effort to bring down the entire team, take a step back and avoid the emotional traps they set. Instead, recognize your own tendencies towards negativity and try to change them. A toxic co-worker will recognize those traits and exploit them if you make that possible. Instead, embrace positive change in yourself to take away that toxic character’s ability to affect you.
Coping With Tech Issues
Whether you work with computers or machinery, you undoubtedly deal with some type of technology on a regular basis. While a malfunction can be frustrating, it’s better not to let it get to you. Instead, try to keep a light mood and laugh it off if you can. The important thing is to avoid panicking and to deal with the malfunction to the best of your abilities. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Chances are good that someone in the workplace has dealt with this problem multiple times and can show you how to solve it efficiently.
If you try these solutions and they fail to work or you face a different type of situation, the best thing to do is step away for a moment. Get a breath of fresh air or go pick up a healthy snack. Just a few minutes away from the situation will give you the chance to think about it clearly. When you return to it, you’ll be able to deal with the problem rationally and calmly.