In any field, you will find a variety of personality types that work within it. While this can create an innovative working environment filled with talented individuals, it can also cause stress, tension, and bad feelings. Depending on your own personality, you may be able to work with a variety of different types, while others may not. If you have had some difficulty in the past, you can learn from mistakes you or others have made so your contribution to a negative work environment is kept to a minimum.

TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT

Even if you are not always treated with respect, it is important for you to always act professional and keep your frustration to yourself. Gossiping about others, making jokes about others, or confronting those who are rude or who donÕt take their jobs seriously is not a good idea. This will only lead to more angry feelings and negative attitudes.

Instead, understand that many times coworkers are not upset with you; they are reacting to an event that has happened in their personal or work life. It is best to ignore it and go on with your day. If the problem persists, then you can talk to your supervisor, or file a complaint with HR.

WORKING IN GROUPS

When working on a group project, you may have to work with many different personality types. This may be tricky, but there are ways to work together to get the project completed on time. When you are assigned your part, focus on your tasks and donÕt worry about what other people have to do. If they canÕt complete their tasks on time, the project manager will handle it.

If you are the project manager or leader, make sure when talking within a group that everyone gets their turn. While not all ideas will be used in a project, making people feel inadequate about their ideas is not professional. Lead the group in productive discussion and try to keep personal feelings out of the discussion.

AVOIDING GOSSIP

In every workplace there will be gossip. While it may appear fun to hear the latest news about a colleague, you should avoid contributing to it. Getting caught gossiping can cause problems with other colleagues and may earn you a reputation of being a gossip, a liar or someone who isnÕt trustworthy.

Working with others is not always easy. But if you keep your focus on your job, you should be able to deal with different personality types. When confronted with a potentially bad situation, talk to HR or your supervisor so you can resolve any issues as quickly as possible.

Timothy Millett, head trainer at i perform, has extensive expertise in performance training, sales training and customer service training. Tim has helped participants from organisations such as SWIFT and UBS achieve peak levels of personal performance. For more information please visit Management Training.