WORKING on a Sunday like it’s Monday of the week? Working every day until all gates are closed? Workaholic! These are the struggles of a working person who would want to make a change for the fulfillment of an organizations vision and mission.
Quiet in eating the rusty bullets and inconsiderate to one’s tremendous health needs. The worst is when you are damn so tired, you become so very sensitive even with little things – irritated even with bright lights! And when a co-worker asks about how are you, you still manage to pretend and answer “I’m okay”.
But how will you feel when you have done more than 100 percent for a task to be done but horribly judge and unconstructively criticize? How will you react to statements like you have done nothing new after countless sleepless nights, missed meals and unanswered phone calls from loved ones due to focused work? How will you handle colleagues that are like angels, but monsters in your back?
Criticisms are good when it motivates you to work harder because it creates a room for reflection. It allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. It best serves as a guide what to change for improvement, what to retain for enhancement and what to remove to prevent further chaos. Criticisms in other words, can result in positive outcomes.
However, it is so discouraging when somebody does what is right for the common good and is misunderstood. The sad is when somebody stabs you in your back, killing you softly. A monster in the form of a human being at work!
What is a monster at work, by the way? Monsters typically have horrific faces, terrifying voices and sharp teeth. Anybody who sees these imaginary creatures would hide due to fear. But monsters at work are totally dissimilar to the monster people classically fear. These monsters have angelic faces and sweet voices.
One would not even think to hide, but would love to stay near them because of their lovely personality. But in reality they are those who would severely personally criticize anybody in any form that would cause one to wish not to wake up anymore from sleeping. Their one’s greatest pleasures are the opportunities to every minute criticize harshly. It is one thing that is going to ruin self-confidence and focused especially for those with low self-esteem.
So, how is it to handle a monster at work? Since some unhappy people take it a habit to criticize others, it means that critics will exist no matter how we prevent it. Some do it because they feel that they are better than those they criticize. They do not even realize that they are not even at par with those they ruthlessly condemn. Funny, but they cannot even construct a complete sentence, but when they evaluate others, they do it per letter.
It will be unrealistic to say that direct confrontation before the issue go out of proportion is best. Most of the times, there is wisdom in delaying. Even you are hurt by co-workers uncivilized critics, it is still rational to do acts of kindness rather than burst out impulsively.
A planned, meaningful dialogue with your colleagues would be the primary action. Their deadly criticisms should not be dealt with deadly reactions too. Offensive words should not be responded with foul words, too. Remain to respond tactfully and convey respect during the dialogue. Although this is a very difficult character to imbibe, but this is the character that God wants us to live with. It is a disarming technique that promotes a peaceful environment and relationship at work. It is a rebirth to the critic and the one who is criticize – gently transforming the ill feelings to warmth and respect.
Although dialogues may seem simple, but the calm meaningful dialogue is hard to do especially during conflicts. Thus, sincerity, genuineness and of course a prayer to God before the dialogue will be vitally important!
And before I end, if our co-workers have the likelihood of overly of criticizing us – why don’t we also evaluate ourselves. We can also try to find some truths to the criticisms that we received. But this is a form of a self-battle that you will surely win! Why? It is because in this way that we can also be converted to become better persons.
And so if a co-worker asks about how are you now, you truthfully can answer “I’m honestly okay and I know how to deal with monsters at work”