Why You Hate Your Coworker

It seems to be a normal occurrence daily. One employee comes into my office to complain about another coworker not doing their job or upset that they were treated unfairly by someone. While it isn't always the case, most of these instances have nothing to do with the other party. It typically comes down to communication.

Most people aren't very good at removing themselves from a situation to understand why someone else may be upset. Looking at working relationships is often more complicated then examining a long term marriage. We tend to spend more time with our coworkers than significant others, yet we tend to know very little about what motivates them. This motivation is the underlying factor in most conflicts at work. Coworkers may assume someone is out to get them or trying to do their job when in reality someone may only be trying to be helpful as it is their nature. Someone may have a disability that you are unaware of or be fighting personal battles that may influence their interaction and presence (work persona) at work.

In our workshops and process examination we look at the human factors that disrupt businesses. Understanding "why" is critical to successfully motivating employees. Of course "because I said so" is a method, but why not encourage and develop your team based on their diversity and introduce high EQ to motivate even the most difficult personality conflicts. No one wants a bad day at work. Let's work together to understand the underlying causes and make this team performing on all cylinders once again!