ADAM THE GRUMPY GRUMP

Adam was an amazing worker but man was he temperamental! Any small thing Adam would be pouting like a 7 month old toddler who had his favorite toy snatched from him. Adam was starting to annoy his colleagues with his attitude because when he was moody his and everybody else’s work suffered. What’s a boss to do? Fire him or hide under a rock and pretend everything was ok?
While you might have a high emotional intelligence quota, a few of your coworkers might not and therefore its not so easy for them “leave their problems outside the door” when they come into work. Moodiness is natural, we can all be out of sort, pissed off, hormonal or just not in the mood for any type of nonsense. However, when dealing with a coworker who is persistently in a bad mood, you must take steps not to let it affect your productivity and lower your morale.

• First – Acknowledging their moody tendencies is the first step to gaining back control and ensuring a positive work environment for not only yourself but also for other co-workers; act friendly regardless of his or her mood.
• Next Find out what pisses him/her off – few people really take time to understand grumpy co-workers, if you open your eyes and pay attention you’ll probably be able to sort out what triggers his/her bad mood.
• Then Don’t simply ignore your coworker’s enduring bad mood because he/she won’t modify his/her behavior if they are not aware of how their actions affect you including the job however when the grumpiness starts do give them plenty of space which may help them sort through their issues mentally and snap out of their bad mood.
• Remember, although it may be difficult to keep cool head- particularly if your colleague is rude or speaks to you disrespectfully, stay calm and don’t over react. Don’t take such behavior personally because his/her moodiness may stem from problems at home or dissatisfaction with his/her or job- none of which have something to do with you personally, if you react in anger to his/her moodiness, it will likely exacerbate the situation.
• Now this is a good one, ask your grumpy colleague if there is anything you might be doing that is causing his/her frustration. If he/she tells you that you are partially or fully to be blamed, don’t take responsibility for his/her bad mood. During open dialogues, tell him/her how their bad mood affects you without being harsh or critical. Don’t be afraid to respectfully request that he/she modify his/her behavior. Tell him/her that you respect them enough to modify your behavior if there is something you do that causes frustration. Avoid making spiteful and/ or sarcastic comments. This will make the mood intolerable and worsen the relationship between the two of you.
• Now remember this too, when someone at your job decides to take his/her personal problems out on you, it might be time to set clear boundaries in your work relationship.You have a right to express your boundaries in the workplace. This means making it clear in a polite but forthright manner when things are not appropriate in your interaction together. For example, if your moody coworker, senior colleague or even your boss is working up to a screeching match about some work you’ve done: Instead of screeching back, simply say firmly that you will return to discuss the work when the two of you have had the chance to calm down and think about it there or if you feel constrained to sit there, be calm and confident and when the tirade ends, simply say “thank you for your observations. I will consider them all in details and provide you with a written response.”
• Don’t take to hiding from grumpy coworkers. This will make you fearful and worried. Instead, always be ready to stand your ground, argue your case politely, and point out salient facts to deflect being sucked into their moodiness.
• If approaching him/her in an open and honest manner fails to yield results, speak to someone in your human resource department.

In conclusion, if you develop the ability to work with anyone and handle tough people and issues, you’ll be the natural choice for promotion and leadership positions so don’t let any grumpy grump steal your shine and thunder at work.
Written by HR ninja in training – Jesse Ante

• department. Use evidence and logic when moody coworker veers off into blanket allegations or ranks.

In conclusion, If you develop the ability to work with anyone and handle tough people and issues, you’ll be the natural choice for promotion and leadership positions so don’t let any grumpy grump steal your shine and thunder at work.
Written by HR ninja in training – Jesse Ante