The Art of Collaboration: Effective Approaches to Managing Disgruntled Coworkers (Replay of past episode due to loss of voice.)

Is your workplace toxic? Do you feel like a hostage dealing with an incessant complainer?

Dennis Guzik has the perfect solution for you! His advice offers a practical approach to dealing with that colleague who never stops complaining.

He suggests politely but firmly letting them know that you disagree and not getting dragged into drama or debate. Of course, if the situation escalates, seek help from management and law enforcement right away. With his tools, tips, and strategies you can effortlessly create a positive atmosphere at work again! You'll be able to resolve this in no time so both parties come out feeling happy about it.

Listen to Dennis Guzik’s Be the Ultimate Podcast to get access to his invaluable advice on how to manage difficult coworkers and succeed at work.

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Website: https://www.dennisguzik.com I release a new episode every Tuesday, and each one is about 7 minutes in length.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

All right, folks. Well, today I'm going to introduce you to a fictional character called Jane. She likes her job and she likes where she works and she likes the boss that she works for, but her co-worker, sam, comes by and usually just starts complaining and bitching and moaning about the job, which is the same as hers, and he complains about the boss and where they are. This is a daily occurrence and it's getting to where then? So what should she do? Well, that's what we're going to talk about today.

Speaker 1: 0:44

Hi, folks, I'm Dennis Guzik, the old jarhead with my Be the Ultimate podcast, where I offer you some great career advice based on my three careers the Marine Corps, the corporate world and now as a career consultant. It's advice that I guarantee will help you have the professional life that you want. So let's get back to Jane. What should she do? Should she just ignore Sam? Well, that's not going to work real well. It's just hard to completely ignore somebody you work with, no matter how much you wish you could. Should she play along with him even though she does not feel this way? Nope, that's the wrong answer. This is probably the most common response people have, but it's the wrong answer why? Well, people do this because they don't want a conflict with a co -worker. So they say they agree and they hope it gets left at that and move on. But there are several problems with this. First, jane would be violating her own ethics by lying. She would be left with the feeling that she gave up her integrity for a few minutes of conflict avoidance Not good. Second, you're adding fuel to Sam's fire Again, not good. Third, and if the word gets around probably by Sam that Jane hates it here too and that she does not like the boss, when people hear this she'll have some explaining to do. She'll either have to admit that she lied to Sam or that she's lying now when she says she didn't mean that she did not like her job and boss.

Speaker 1: 2:12

So then what should she do? Well, the old jarhead has some advice for you. First, she should let Sam know, politely and professionally, that she does not feel the way he does. She needs to be clear that she likes her job, she likes the company she works for and she likes her boss. You don't want to get into a debate about it, but you need to be definitive. There's a good chance. This will stop the daily bitching and moan sessions.

Speaker 1: 2:38

She could also ask Sam why, if he's so unhappy, he doesn't get another job. It just may be time to move on, and sometimes that person just needs a little kick to get moving on to other options. You could say that you would be happy to help him move along like looking over his resume but you don't want to get too involved. What should Jane not do? Well, what are those things that she should not do? She does not want to be his listening post or get overly involved with his moving on. She is not his personal headhunter. She doesn't want to get too wrapped up with Sam and his disgruntledness, if that's a word.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Remember, as I've mentioned in past podcasts, you want to be around people who want the best for you. It's possible that what Sam wants is for you to come down to his miserable level, and that is nothing that you should let happen. Then you need to let management know right away. If the disgruntled employee does something like break the copier or something like that and management finds out that you were aware of his intentions, you could be on the chopping block, Not good. Second, if it appears that the disgruntled person needs psychological help, you need to realize that you are not trained to do this, so don't try to go down the path of being their shrink. And lastly, if the disgruntled co-worker says or implies that they may do something violent, then you need to immediately make that known to management and maybe even law enforcement. There is no other option.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Well, that's enough for now. What's today's takeaway? Well, if you're working with a disgruntled co-worker, the best outcome is a win-win situation in which that worker moves on and you no longer have to listen to them bitch and mo. Don't get dragged in, and let someone know if there's a chance of sabotage or violence. Well, thanks for listening to the old Jarhead Ramblings and please, if you like it, tell your friends about the Be the Ultimate Podcast and let me know if you have a topic you'd like me to address in the future. Bye, thank you. Thank you.