Originally Published Apr. 28, 2016.
While being blindsided by a co-worker is never ideal, it’s a situation that many of us have or will experience in the workplace. If you find yourself in a predicament with a co-worker that you feel is shady, use the below tips to sort through the situation.
Communicate:
Getting last minute notice that a co-worker is leaving your team or dividing their time between your department and someone else’s department is never a good thing, but it’s a situation that any of us can easily find ourselves in the middle of. Rather than getting upset with your co-worker about their lack of communication, be the bigger person and ask them directly what’s happening. A simple conversation can help you clarify any fuzzy details and it will allow you to hear an explanation for why things may have unfolded the way they did.
Be honest:
Being honest with a colleague isn’t always easy, but it’s the necessary thing to do if you really want them to understand how you feel. Opening up about why you felt a situation was wrong will not only help to prevent your co-worker from handling things the same way in the future, but it can also help them to reflect and re-think their approach to things and how it affects those around them.
Take time to assess the situation:
Oftentimes, we jump to conclusions about a situation that we feel we were left out of the loop on. Who else knows besides me? Why was I the last person to find out? Before thinking too far into the situation, take time to really assess how things panned out. Ask yourself, “Is this a situation that involves my input? Do I only want to be in the loop for egotistical reasons? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you really need to reassess why you’re stressing about the situation.
RELATED CONTENT:Ask Sheree: How To Deal With Racist Coworkers