We all at some point will encounter people who clash with our personality and can be difficult to communicate with, therefore knowing what to do in these situations can be beneficial to ensure that any issues can be resolved as quickly and as effectively as possible.

Listen first then reply

We can become quick to respond to a conversation where feelings are heightened and this often makes the situation a lot worse, which is why making sure you listen to what the other person is saying before you reply is incredibly important. Not only does this let the other person feel heard but it also gives you time to form an appropriate response that helps towards resolving the issue that has been presented to you.

By listening rather than responding straight away you will be able to better understand the other person’s perspective which will help you to form a response that is useful.

Speak calmly

When you are responding make sure you don’t let your emotions take over so that you are able to approach the person and issue in a calm and compassionate way.

Speaking calmly can help both you and the other person or people to ground themselves and speak to one another in a respectful way so that a common goal of resolving the problem is created.

Don’t take it personally

Most of the time the negative interactions we have with people are not about us personally. Sometimes it feels this way but often what happens is someone feels threatened or frustrated because they don’t understand what is being told to them which leads to the emotions and words that are thrown at you.

Follow up

Following up can be beneficial whether the problem has been resolved. It allows you both to reflect on the conversation that you’ve had to see whether any problems persisted. It also allows for growth on learning how to deal with any issues in the future.

If at any time you are unsure on what to do speak to those appropriate. This could be your manager, a colleague or anyone in the company responsible for complaints.

People who we clash personalities with can easily affect our mood, in fact some of the interactions we have with said people can turn our day bad. Which is why finding ways to overcome bad days at work is important, you can find more information on this HERE