Ask Sanyin: How Can I Turn Around a Difficult Work Relationship?

When you just don’t get along with a colleague, reset the relationship by focusing on trust.

I frequently butt heads with one of my team members. We don’t agree on anything, and they don’t appreciate what I’m doing. What are my options?

The reality is that each of us is likely to rub someone the wrong way, and today’s workplace is especially challenging. The workforce spans five generations and a multitude of working styles and expectations. Remote and hybrid work require more asynchronous and often transactional digital communications, making it harder to establish good connections.

Whatever your disagreements with this colleague appear to be about, the underlying dynamic that’s keeping you both stuck in a nonproductive dance is a lack of trust. That’s where we need to begin repairing relationships: building trust.

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/ask-sanyin-how-can-i-turn-around-a-difficult-work-relationship/