Whether it’s your first job or one you’ve had for years, you are bound to encounter workplace challenges no matter how ideal the environment is. This is a natural and inevitable consequence when people from all walks of life work together, coupled with the workplace conditions set by the company. Even if you aren’t working yet, you have heard a story or two regarding some hubbub between two coworkers or that manager who somehow metes out unfair punishments among employees.
If you’re part of the working class, chances are, you will experience a common office issue or two and you will feel frustrated when it happens to you. The good news is that you don’t have to be miserable when it does occur, because there are ways to overcome the most common ones.
Here are some examples of common workplace issues and what you can do about them.
Bad Performance Rating
There are instances when work can be challenging and the company you work for counts on your output. The boss keeps an eye on your progress and marks how you did by timely performance ratings. It will come as a shock if you find out you’ve performed poorly when you think you’re doing a good job, so it can be disconcerting to get this kind of feedback.
Instead of getting anxious over what’s already done, you can choose to focus on personally evaluating yourself and what you did to achieve those less-than-stellar ratings. In this situation, people often try to come up with excuses for why they did poorly.
Instead of doing that, learn to listen to the feedback, and try the suggested courses of action. The way you may be doing things may not be at par with the standards set by the company or are simply not good enough.
Opinions Not Being Heard/Valued
When you’re new to a company, there can be a little awkwardness here and there as you try to find your footing. Most newbies don’t usually say their opinions during meetings in favor of trying to be agreeable and pleasant. However, decisions have to be made, and although you are new to the job, you may be forced to share your thoughts.
Because the people you work with are varied, your opinion may be received differently. If the questions revolve around what you can ask to change in the company, the best way to offer your opinion is if you also offer solutions to make it better. Change can be hard for some people, so it is wise to be reasonable and objective for whatever qualms you choose to air out.
Being Burned Out
Do you ever feel overworked but not compensated enough? Or do you think you’re sacrificing your health too much just for a job? Most employees will agree that they’ve felt that feeling one way or another. Stress is one of the biggest factors that make people unmotivated and unproductive, and it may be linked to burnout.
This largely depends on what kind of job you have, but if your company does things that don’t align with your values, then it can be the source of your stress. Although not all workplaces have unethical practices, there are some that do as a result of company culture. The best way to go about this without the feeling of being disruptive to others is to personally talk it out with a higher-up, like a manager.
There are policies in place that may justify these unfair practices, but you don’t have to suffer alone. Remember that there may be reasons or causes those policies exist. So while you think you’re just an employee to a company and think that your complaint may not make much of a difference, go ahead and still do it. You never know, the right pair of ears may be listening and looking for ways to improve the company and its culture.
Too Distracted to Work
When you are the type of person who needs absolute peace and quiet when you work, it can be impossible to do that when you’re in an office setting filled with diverse personalities. What others may think as a minor inconvenience may feel like a huge insurmountable task to you. If you have a disruptive workmate who talks loudly or does something unrelated to work that distracts you, then bring it to their attention.
Let them understand that, as a new person in the company, you are trying to find your way among the protocols and policy. Point it out to them that you would appreciate if they keep it down a bit so as not to disturb you and others.
If that doesn’t work, then take it up with your manager. Having good noise-canceling earphones works too.
Make Working from Home More Fun
If you belong in those companies that allow employees to work from home, then why not invest in a tool that will make you more productive? If your work involves a lot of paperwork or if you write for a living, a portable smart typewriter is something you should have. It is a handy little gadget that allows you to do your work without the distractions of social media and other apps.
You don’t have to worry about flash drives or having to transfer your work because the gadget has Wi-Fi capability. You can easily send all your work to the cloud when you’re done or do backups of your progress. You can even print it directly from the smart typewriter too.
No One is Perfect
Everyone has good and bad days, and no one is perfect. The workplace challenges mentioned above are just some of the many. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach on how to deal with them, the best way you can do as an employee and as a person is to face it in a calm and rational manner.
If you can talk and work it out with the respective persons involved, then all the better. If not, there’s always the management that can help.
What are common workplace challenges you have faced or continue to face? In the comments below, share how you overcame them.
