Challenging Situation #4 Office Gossip<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe term \u201cgossiping by the water cooler\u201d has some truth to it. Almost every office has its designated gossipers. What\u2019s the thing to do if someone tries to invite you to participate in one of these water cooler office gossiping sessions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believe it or not, but how you handle this can have a long-lasting effect on your relationships with your coworkers. There is <\/em>potential for drama. Gossip, while oftentimes tempting, is almost always ill-advised. As juicy as that tidbit of news may be, gossip has the potential to hurt someone\u2019s feelings and alienate them; it can lose others\u2019 trust in you<\/em>, and it can backfire on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSteer the conversation away from the gossip if someone tries to share it with you. You want to think about what ias gossip. Humans are social creatures. Communication, especially in the workplace, is a vital part of making anything run smoothly. Whenever you find yourself part of a toxic conversation and tempted to join in, ask yourself \u201cdoes this need to be said?\u201d and \u201cdo I know this person\u2019s side of the story?\u201d \u201cIs this information 100% true?\u201d and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the answers to these questions are \u201cno,\u201d you need to walk away from such toxicity. Pick your words wisely. Either stay silent during the gossip or since you can\u2019t break ties with a colleague who\u2019s a notorious gossipmonger, it\u2019s always handy to have an excuse to leave the conversation. Remember, if you have nothing nice to say, walk away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Challenging Situation #5 You Have A New, Entitled Coworker<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen you signed those dotted lines to accept your dream job, you never expected that some time later, you would have this problem on your hands: an entitled coworker you don\u2019t know how to deal with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such is the problem with \u201cnewbies.\u201d Some coworkers want to jump straight ahead to the more desirable tasks and skip ahead of the more tedious, everyday tasks. If you have no idea how to delicately approach a sensitive situation, here\u2019s how to do it skillfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, we want to avoid the person becoming defensive, which will potentially unmake any progress you\u2019ve made with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You want to start by being relatable and encouraging\u2013 but to a certain extent. Tell them that you can see they\u2019re going to do great things at the company. Tell them that they even remind you of yourself when you were their age and position. Acknowledging their skill and enthusiasm can put them at ease\u2013 and ease their defensiveness. Then you can lead the conversation towards how\u2013 right now\u2013 they need to focus on their <\/em>duties in order to learn all there is to one day become an even greater asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReferencing their skill and <\/em>future, and with such gentle phrasing, makes them pliable to what you\u2019re saying. At the end of the day, people do things for their own self-interest or reasons, not yours. To reach them, to persuade them, tie the conversation in with their goals and wants with <\/em>the outcome you desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n