Being part of a team is like to being the captain of a ship; there is no guarantee that everything will go smoothly. Sure, at some point or another, each one of us has daydreamed about becoming a part of the "dream team," a group of people who work together in perfect harmony so that nothing stands in the way of their success. But let's face it: the majority of teams are comprised of individuals with a wide range of personalities. Some of them are as cool as a cucumber, while others could give you trouble and make your workday feel like you're walking a tightrope. Some of them are as cool as a cucumber. The question is, how can you effectively handle conflict and resistance in teams where members have challenging personalities?
Learn to Recognize the Patterns of Behavior That Are Associated With Troublesome Personalities
Imagine yourself working as a private investigator. Your initial objective is to identify the types of personalities that are contributing to the tension inside the team. They may be difficult to satisfy because they engage in passive aggression, are extremely confrontational, or both. Understanding behavioral patterns will enable you to interact with challenging individuals on your team in a way that is more productive, much as you wouldn't offer a young child a challenging task.
Different kinds of challenging personalities
The Critic: Never content and quick to point out flaws in everything.
The Show-Off Is Someone Who Constantly Wants To Be The Center Of Attention And Ignores Others.
The passive-aggressive person is someone who pretends that nothing is wrong while secretly harboring resentment toward others.
The pessimist is someone who always looks at the world through a negative lens.
Are you sure you haven't heard of these people before? If you are able to spot these behaviors, you are already well on your way to finding the solution to the puzzle.
In order to reduce dysfunctional behavior, the following four strategies should be implemented. Being aware of a problem is only half the battle; the other half is taking action to address it. The question now is, how can disharmony be turned into harmony?
1. Honest and Open Interaction
Establish a secure environment for free-flowing conversation. Address people's worries head-on while maintaining good manners, and invite others to offer their perspectives. If you don't know the problem, how can you possibly fix it?
2. Define Your Boundaries Clearly
Sometimes people act out for no reason other than the fact that they can. Establish unequivocal parameters for what constitutes appropriate behavior.
3. Reinforcement in a Positive Way
Observe them becoming successful at something! There are occasions when tough people are unaware of the great qualities they possess. If you praise and congratulate positive behavior, it just might become a habit.
4. Seek the Assistance of a Qualified Professional
In the most serious of situations, you might want the help of a mediator or a counselor in order to get the team back to functioning normally.
Collaborate with the Human Resources and Legal Departments in Order to Handle People with Difficult Personalities
At this point, you could be asking yourself, "Why involve HR and Legal?" However, there are situations when a problem gets out of hand to the point that it becomes a question of policy or even the law. Working in collaboration with Human Resources and Legal will assist in ensuring that you are taking the appropriate actions and covering all of your bases. In addition, they have received training to deal with precisely these kinds of complex situations. It's kind of like having a fire extinguisher—you certainly hope you'll never have to use it, but it's comforting to know it's there just in case.
Conclusion
The management of a team that is comprised of members who have challenging personalities is not for the faint of heart. You may, however, direct your team back into smoother waters by having excellent observation skills, strategically implementing behavior management strategies, and having a safety net of HR and Legal behind you. After all, a captain's value is directly proportional to their capacity to steer the ship through rough seas without sinking it. Are you willing to rise to the occasion?
FAQs
1. How can I recognize challenging individuals on my team?
Search for bad patterns of conduct that are consistent and disturb the dynamic of the team.
2. What is the first thing you should do to manage challenging personalities?
Communication that is both open and honest is essential. Don't try to hide problems or ignore them.
3. In what circumstances should I involve human resources in this situation?
When behavioral difficulties become disruptive, have an impact on the quality of work, or violate corporate policy, it is time to involve human resources.
4. Is it possible to alter challenging personalities?
Even if you can't alter a person's personality, you can help them become more self-aware of the disruptive activities they engage in and encourage them to work toward betterment.
5. What if the challenging personality belongs to my superior?
That is a difficult circumstance, but one that is not insurmountable to overcome. Open communication, keeping a log of incidences, and seeking assistance from human resources are all potentially useful strategies.
So, are you prepared to become the seasoned captain of your team's ship over the rough waters ahead?
