HANDLING AWKWARD SITUATIONS AT WORK
1. Your co-worker slacks off constantly
· The solution: Ignore it, even if your boss is letting your colleague get away with this behaviour.
· It is also possible that your boss is already addressing it behind the scenes.
· Either way, if it's not affecting your work, it's not your business.
· If it does affect your job, then raise it with your boss, focussing only on your own productivity.
· Of course, if you're yourself the slacker's manager, then you need to address it forthrightly.
2. Your assistant's outfits are very revealing
· The solution: Start the discussion in terms of dress code and professional image.
· Say something like, "You're a great employee and I feel a bit awkward about bringing this up, but some of your blouses are more revealing than you might realize. You're very professional otherwise and I don't want this to impact people's perceptions of you. I'd like to ask that you raise the neckline on your blouses."
· Have this conversation at the end of the day, so that she does not have to feel self-conscious about it during work.
3. Your co-worker wears a strong perfume
· The solution: Make the problem about you, not about her.
· Say something like, "I like your perfume, but I'm allergic to some perfumes and have some respiratory issues when I'm around strong ones. It's lovely, but do you think you could wear less of it while at work?"
4. Your colleague monopolizes every meeting
· The solution: Speak up!
· Redirect the conversation by saying, "Turning the topic back to where we started, we need to cover A, B, and C before we wrap up."
· Or when he pauses for breath, say, "I'd love to hear what others think about that."
· But if you're managing this meeting, you should also talk to your co-worker privately.
· Tell him, "I appreciate hearing your input, but I want to make sure that we're hearing from other people as well. Next time, I'd love it if you'd help me encourage others to contribute."
5. Your co-worker has terrible body odour
· The solution: Consider bringing this to the notice of the co-worker's manager to handle it.
· But if you are the manager, be honest, direct, discreet and as nice as possible.
· Say something like, "I want to raise something that's awkward, and I hope I don't offend you. You've had a noticeable body odour lately. It might be a need to wash clothes more frequently or shower more, or it could be a medical problem. This is the kind of thing that people often don't realize about themselves, so I wanted to bring it to your attention."