When you are employed, you not only have to face daily challenges, but you also have to meet people of different personality types. If all the workers get along, they can harmoniously contribute to the growth of the company. However, this is not a practical situation. Often in a corporate hierarchy, one has to deal with dominant colleagues who exercise authority or pressure over junior staff and neglect the concerns of others. These people are difficult to get along with and you may find yourself constantly at odds with him/her. So when asserting your own voice, you should try to nip the problem in the bud before it becomes too entrenched and affects your productivity in the workplace. Here are some suggested steps on how to deal with a domineering colleague in his office.
- defend yourself
Dominant personalities often tend to be bossy without even realizing the consequences of their behavior towards others. Therefore, when a co-worker is in full control of the situation, prevent him from disrupting your method of work. It doesn’t mean you have to approach the issue combatively. He can say thank you for his advice and politely explain his work style. This shows that you are firm and confident in achieving certain results.
- Try to discuss it over coffee.
When a dominant co-worker recognizes the ability to override you, they won’t miss a single opportunity to interfere with your work. At such times, you should communicate directly with the colleague and chat with him in private over a cup of coffee. He can speak clearly about the things that are affecting him, how the bossy attitude is obstructing his work productivity and politely ask the person in question to stop. In doing so, always remember to remain calm and not to impose accusations on the dominant co-worker or it will make the person pay less attention to your request and also change their attitude towards you in the office.
- Take help from co-workers
People who have an authoritarian personality tend to be harsh, dismissive and tend to make decisions on the simplest tasks without taking into account the opinion of others. Even if you are aware of a colleague’s abrasive communication style and have gotten used to it, you should not be afraid to take appropriate action when you find the colleague’s behavior offensive or particularly intimidating. So when a colleague goes out of line, always seek the help of other co-workers and ask them to step in to resolve the issue. It will remind the dominant colleague that you are working according to the instructions of the superior and that he/she has no say in your decisions or any supervisory power over you.
- Invoke higher authorities
When courtesy requests or personal emails fail to control a colleague’s domineering nature, you can write the following email while keeping your boss on CC. In this way, she is not only making her problems clear to the boss, but also showing an official willingness to discuss the matter. You can mention the problems you are facing due to the behavior of a particular colleague and how he is hammering the job. For example, you can cite certain examples of the intrusive nature of the individual in question and his impact on his daily goal. At the same time, you can also give suggestions such as asking HR to intervene to resolve the matter or limit your tasks with him/her.
The head of the company does not have time to address all the complaints and may not take them too seriously. At such times, if he thinks the dominant co-worker is constantly stepping out of line, he involves the human resources department to take care of the matter. The human resources department exists to solve conflicting problems between workers, and should be helped when there is no other option. Instead of playing a victim, he must speak out against wrongdoing and must always remain proactive in the work environment.
