Most of us have at one point or another encountered someone we truly did not work well with. These people range from minor annoyances to the bane of existence. It is very easy to place the fault of these failed work relationships squarely on the shoulders of the other without taking any responsibility. My point here is not to point fingers, but rather to point out a missed opportunity for self betterment.
I often advise those close to me that nearly every difficulty in the workplace holds potential for learning and growth.
Think about the boss that seems to feed off of your frustration. Every time you walk into this person’s office with a new idea it is struck down seemingly without regard for it’s merits. You have three choices in this situation.
First, you can quit and seek out employment elsewhere where the fields are greener. Of course the grass very often seems greener on the other side of the fence. I find this option pretty useless as you will probably face the same situation with different faces.
Second, you can do nothing. This strikes me as equally if not more useless than the first.
Third, you can endeavor to draw something useful out of the situation by learning what it is that makes the person tick. What is it that is missing from the communication? How can you go the extra mile to make it work. Now I don’t mean to say that you should just sit down and take abuse, rather I mean that you should learn the lessons about how people communicate.
So the next time that particularly irritating person shows their face take a moment and think about what you can learn from the situation. You may surprise yourself.
Food for Thought 