Ever had to deal with that one person at work that has no respect, no consideration for others and just doesn't know when to zip the lip? We've all been there before and it's one of the hardest things to deal with because we are in a professional setting and need to act professionally even when others do not.
So how do you deal with someone who may be rude or disrespectful to you? This happened to me and it took all my strength not to lower myself to my colleague's level and talk back to him the way he thought it was appropriate to talk to me.
I could feel my heart-rate increase, I started to sweat and my breathing shallowed, but I kept telling myself to stay calm.
I responded to his requests calmly without raising my voice or moving my hands and arms up in the air.
When this failed to work and the insults began, that was when I yet again, calmly told him that I would not tolerate his insults and rude behavior and asked him to leave my office.
He slammed the door behind him and went on his way.
What this showed me was that he had a complete lack of self-control and gave away his power.
He was angry about an official company process that he had to abide by.
The way I dealt with it was by knowing that the paper trail I had was sufficient to prove that the correct steps were taken and that despite his sentiments I was not in the wrong.
If you are faced with a similar situation it is important to know that there are boundaries in the workplace and you don't need to tolerate unprofessional behavior by anyone.
Always keep calm and try not to be reactive, even when it's really hard.
There is nothing to be gained by lowering yourself to someone else's standards and in the workplace there can be consequences for inappropriate behavior.
If you feel like you have been violated on some level then it's always a good idea to report the incident with Human Resources or an Employee Relations type of office.
By documenting the event you provide yourself with a layer of security and help if you need it.
Also if uncomfortable situations are occurring behind closed doors like in an office, open the door and even ask someone else to sit in on a conversation.
Always maintain a professional disposition, do not revert to name calling or labeling and stick to the facts.
All we can do is try our best and being mature and professional always help.