Question
How can you navigate challenging workplace dynamics and collaborate successfully with strong personalities?
Answer
Yes, working with strong personalities does exist. We all know we do not get to choose whom we work with. My advice, which has helped me, is to find things you can appreciate about that person. Even if they are small, everyone has something to offer. I am telling you, there are people you know or others who are like, Oh my gosh, this person is the worst. When you see them on the shift, try to find something you admire or appreciate about them.
For example, it could be something that their notes are well written. "I read your notes the other day. It was very well written." You are not looking for feedback. It is a genuine compliment, the person may or may not respond to you, but you want to keep finding those things. Somebody is super neat, or their penmanship is fantastic. Keep finding those things because it will cushion working with such a personality. You can continue to bring down the wall. Do not test other teammates' or coworkers' egos. In healthcare, we all have our stories of what got us into this role in this type of profession.
Suppose we do not know how hard it was for the person to get where they got, how easy, or what challenges or barriers. Know that we all got here in some shape or form and have a story. Testing other team members' coworkers' egos is not worth it. It might feel good in the short term, but it brings negativity. The negativity lasts longer than the short-lived feeling of good after you tear that person to shreds. That is the advice that I give. Forgive the coworker that hurt you. Forgiveness was hard for me because I have been hurt at work a few times. I am somebody. When I am hurt, my guard goes up. I wall up and will give you surface stuff only. When I start to let my guard down, then someone does something, and the wall goes right back up. Do your best to forgive and move on when dealing with strong personalities with people that hurt you.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, The Power of You: Unlocking Purpose Within Your Career, presented by Linda Nozart, MPH, BSRT, RRT, AE-C.
