Show notes
Managing your least favorite person in the office can feel like torture.
Consequently, you push that person out of meetings, turn down their ideas, and exclude them from brainstorming sessions all for the better of the company (and maybe your sanity), right? Wrong.
"It's not possible or even preferable that you'll like everyone on your team," says Amy Gallo, editor at the Harvard Business Review and author of the article How to Manage Someone You Don't Like.
Gallo explains to Money Talking host Charlie Herman that it is better for your team and your company to work with an array of people because "you don't want a team comprised entirely of people you'd invite to a party," Gallo said. "You need people who have a diversity of work style, thought, and approach. People who provoke and challenge you."
Gallo adds that there are some workarounds for managing an annoying employee, which all stem with you.
By altering the things within your control (like your perceptions and reactions), eventually you'll feel less inclined to want to rip your hair out (what's left of it) when that maddening worker is around.
See the upside. Hiring someone who looks, acts, and thinks like you is incredibly dangerous in the office. Irksome employees can make you think twice about a decision you've made or a product you've created, essentially making you work harder or be more innovative.
Be the bigger person. As the boss, you need to be professional. Leave your personal feelings at home and focus on the big picture: having the best team or creating the most successful products.
Discover their good qualities. No one is 100% annoying. Look for where that person excels. They may have unexplored talents that could prove useful.
Try aversion therapy. Sit near that employee, bring them into meetings, or go out to coffee with them to discuss ideas and strategies. Even though this sounds unpleasant, it is the best way to get beyond your distaste.
[Listen to host Charlie Herman and Amy Gallo examine best practices when you are managing workers you dislike.]
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