Management Coaching Tips

Frustrations at work can derail even the most efficient manager. Work anxiety comes from all the typical places: too many moving parts, difficult employees, strict timelines and deadlines, and pressure from upper management to do more with less. Managing your team is in itself complex, creating another challenge in dealing with stress. Further, managing someone you just don’t like requires executive leadership. As always, it is your job to successfully meet this challenge by Managing Yourself First.

Consider these management consultant tips to work effectively with someone you just don’t like:

• Decide to accept your feelings and avoid acting from them. Once you name and own the negative feelings, you can more easily choose to constructively manage your thoughts and behaviors.
• Understand that your negative reactions can be telling you something about yourself. What is it that bothers you about this person? Is it a trait or behavior that you also have? Sometimes we unknowingly reject others for the negative aspects we see in ourselves.
• Make sure coping with anxiety and work stress do not spill over into your personal life and upset your work-life balance. Talk over frustrations at work with a spouse or life partner to manage anger or anxiety.
• Resist the temptation to complain about the disliked person to anyone in your workplace. Gossip travels fast. You could easily make your situation worse and you will lose respect as a leader.
• Make a list of this employee’s positive attributes. Focus on those strengths. Let the employee know when you appreciate something that he or she has done well.
• Seek private coaching or management consulting to help you deal with stress at work and successfully manage someone you dislike. In a private consultation, you can honestly discuss your feelings, including frustration, irritation and anger. Once you have done that, you will have more energy and freedom to create a plan for managing all your team members successfully.

Contact Dr. Ruth Tallakson to schedule a management coaching session at 651.647.1001.