16 May It’s Business, Not Personal

Remember: It’s Business, Not Personal

We spend a lot of time with the people we work with. Some people you’ll like, and others you won’t.

You don’t choose your work family, but you’ve been put together to do a job. When different personalities, temperaments and working styles come together- there are bound to be clashes.

However, at the end of the day you have to remember: it’s business, not personal. This is so crucial to remind yourself every day, like I had to when I first started working in corporate America.

Here are my top tips for working with challenging co-workers and getting the job done, despite conflict:

1. Accept people for who they are. You can’t change people easily, and you shouldn’t waste time and energy trying to. Accept what you can’t change and find solutions elsewhere.
2. Don’t act on emotions. This one is crucial. Nothing is going to get solved when everyone is upset and heated. Let things cool off, leave the room, take a walk – and then address the problem once everyone has had some room to breathe.
3. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. We’re all human even if you can’t see the opposing view at all. Try to see things from their perspective. Are they going through a divorce? Money problems or other concerns? Empathy can go a long way.

There are ways to deal with difficult coworkers and get the job done! Just remember – it’s business not personal. Treat every challenging moment as a lesson to learn and grow from it, this will help you in the long run.