by David Dewitt

Created on: July 19, 2010

Rude people seem to be everywhere these days and some of the worst are in the workplace. Dealing with rudeness at work seems to be a daily occurrence. Co-workers often do rude things and say rude things on a daily basis. There always seems to be a co-worker who has to behave in a rude manner at some point during the workday or during the work week.

Dealing with rude comments often causes people to behave in ways that are not part of their character. There are a few things we need to remember when dealing with rude people at work.

Relax

One of the most common stress factors in the workplace is other people. When people say rude things to us or others, it often makes us angry. The first thing that needs to happen when angered by rude behavior is relax. Nothing good happens when multiple tempers are flaring. The reality is that two wrongs will never make anything right. The workplace seems to bring out the rudeness in people in many different ways.  Just because co-workers are acting in an inappropriate manner does not mean that you should. In fact, it often means that you should do everything to keep from doing something foolish.

Think before speaking

The natural urge is to respond to rude comment with more rude comments. The question to ask: does this solve anything? Absolutely not! Thinking through what should be done or said is crucial to responding in an appropriate manner. Inappropriate actions will only lead to more problems and more issues with rudeness. The truth is that actions always speak louder than words.  Acting in a poor manner does nothing but damage our character and our reputation.

Overlook the rudeness

One of the most common ways that people deal with rude comments is to simply overlook them. While this may not deal with the cause of the problem, it does not compound the problem. Overlooking the rude comments is often the best high road behavior but often leaves people feeling powerless. The reality is co-workers who are continually rude should not be continually overlooked. Rude comments are like a poison that infects the workplace and will eventually kill the morale.

Rise above low behavior

Many people need to just rise above the low behavior of their co-workers. The truth is that many people will be rude and make rude comments. Never give in to the urge to verbally join the onslaught because it causes us to sink to lower levels of character and behavior. Make the choice to act in a mature and responsible way. Understand that each time that the urge to strike back or retaliate with rude words is a victory.

How should people respond to rude co-workers? Relax and calm down before allowing co-workers to get the best of our behavior. Think before speaking and do not say anything that will cause the situation to get worse. Overlook the comments if possible. Make the decision to rise above low behavior. The reality is that dealing with rude comments may be difficult but it is essential to maintaining good relationships and personal sanity.

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