Best Ways to Deal with a Moody Colleague
People spend a major part of their waking time in the workplace. The productivity of a person depends to a certain extent on the people working around him or her. It is impossible to control the behavior of the other person. However, it is important to ensure that your colleague's moody behavior does not impact on your performance at work.
It is indeed a challenge to understand the behavior of a moody colleague. The best way is to accept the person as he or she is. It is always advisable to be polite, kind and friendly irrespective of the mood of the other person. Empathize with the other person. The person's mood swings may by due to situations at home. Empathy enables to you to develop tolerance and keeps your mind peaceful, strong and healthy.
It is important to remember that you are not the real cause of your colleague's behavior. There aremany possible reasons for a person to be moody. For instance people suffering from clinical depression lose the ability to control their mood. Sometimes it is a good idea to avoid the person till he or she calms down.
It is advisable to avoid confrontation with a moody colleague. At the same time you should not allow the other person to take you for granted. It is always a good idea to be assertive. You are committed to yourself. Your goal should be to perform well and to grow in your career. You are definitely not obligated to keep your colleague happy. It is very important to be calm, poised, relaxed and composed while interacting with a moody colleague.
People who are normally friendly may behave differently on some occasions. In such cases it is a good idea to invite the person to confide in you. Talk to the person to find out what is wrong. You may say, "You don't seem to be your usual self today. Is anything wrong?"Listen with attention and patienceto what the other person has to say. Speak in a soft tone. It is very important to use your heart. The person may feel better after interacting with you and may even thank you for your concern. Some people behave differently in order to seek attention. In such cases it is important to ignore them.
Moody people are unpredictable and spread negative energy in the workplace. It is impossible to avoid them. By remembering the abovementioned tips, you will surely be in a better position to handle them.
