How to deal with difficult
people at work

Challenges:

• "My manager doesn’t understand me"
• "He is too authoritative"

Meditation to the rescue:

Think about it: can we choose our managers? They will be who they are. But the choice between keeping our focus on our work and getting stuck in a whirlpool of emotions is for us to make.

You can focus better when the mind is relaxed, free from the vicious circle of thoughts ignited by difficult managers. In such a "pressure-cooker" situation, meditation brings the much-needed relaxation. It is like the shield that protects you from the negativity around so that you can focus on your work. With regular meditation, you’ll gradually notice that the dialogue that goes on in your mind between yourself and your senior reduces.

Challenges:

• "Why doesn’t he help me when needed?"
• "Why is he such a bigmouth?"
• "There is unhealthy competition here"

Meditation to the rescue:

Have you observed that there are times when people are too busy with their own work load and they barely notice when you need help? At such times, it’s natural to make judgments like, "he does not bother about anything but himself" or "why does he have to always compete; it’s not a competition". Can you change people or their work schedules? No. But you can change your approach of how you deal with these difficult people at your work.

Regular practice of meditation makes your mind so calm that you find it easier to accept people’s behaviors. This saves your mind from the unnecessary analysis of whether something was done on purpose or otherwise.

When there is unhealthy competition at the workplace, instead of giving in, what you can do is save your mind from this chaos.

Meditation is like refilling yourself from the infinite source of energy when you feel low. High energy brings enthusiasm and then no matter how people are around you, you remain untouched by what they say or how they behave.This source is available for you 24X7, so don’t hesitate to make the most of it.

And for all the hurt you have gathered before, meditation has a calming effect. It works to release all your pent-up frustration.

Challenges:

• "They’ve decided they will never heed my advice"
• "He thinks he is more intelligent than everyone else"

Meditation to the rescue:

If you think your subordinate doesn’t listen to what you have to suggest, you may try approaching him as a friend than as a senior. Sometimes, it is good to step down to their comfort zone and make things work out. With meditation, you become more comfortable with yourself. Just as you start accepting your own limitations, you will also start accepting people with their limitations. Meditation helps you extend your horizons to incorporate the viewpoints of those you do not see eye to eye with. This way, you feel more comfortable with such people because you realize why they behave the way they do.

If your subordinate thinks he is more intelligent than you, instead of setting his notions right or feeling insulted, take it positively. You can even assign him challenging tasks to work on if he is competent enough. But most importantly, you need to be friendly with him and compliment him for his achievements. With regular meditation, your positivity will reflect in your nature and that will break the ice between you two.