Dealing With Annoying Co-workers

As a self-employed freelance writer in Kentucky, I don't have to actually deal with co-workers. My office is comprised of me, myself and I. On the other hand, I do have companies that I find clients through, and it's through these companies that I have been able to network with other freelance writers.  

Some of these fellow freelance writing co-workers have been extremely helpful in boosting my writing career, while others have reminded me time and time again why I choose to work from home and not some cubicle farm where office politics dictate my future.

To put it simply, many of these other freelance writers, several of whom I consider my co-workers, are absolutely rude and immature. In fact, I was quite blown away with how inconsiderate some of fellow writers are. They will do everything they can to knock down the other writers, to cut them deep, and make them feel like they should completely give up with their goal of being a successful freelance writer. I’ve seen it time and time again and it’s always so sad. And it’s not just a one-time occurrence. It’s the same annoying coworkers who spend day and night on the forums ripping other people apart.

What I'm getting at here, is even as a freelance writer who works from home, I deal with annoying co-workers just like anyone else. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss a few tips relating to dealing with these types of people.

Tip #1: Ignore Them

As a freelance writer in Kentucky, the only way that I tend to come in contact with my co-workers is via online forum posts. I have recently discovered that the best way to avoid those arrogant, backstabbing co-workers is by avoiding these forums. Sure, these forums can be valuable when it comes to learning the ropes of a new writing platform, but in all actuality, any questions that need to be answered can be addressed by the Help Desk. If a platform doesn't offer a Help Desk, it probably isn't worth writing for anyway.  

Tip #2: Never direct any work toward annoying co-workers

In the freelance business, I have several niches that I consider myself to be an expert in. When a client needs my services, if I don't feel that I'm adequately qualified to complete the work, I will outsource it to someone who is qualified. But I also make sure to never direct or outsource any of my work to an annoying co-worker. Although the annoying co-worker may not realize it, he or she is missing out on a ton of work and money simply because of his or her sour personality and inability to be respectful toward me and other fellow writers. I think it’s hilarious how some of these annoying writers fail to understand there are numerous writers who have both a contractor/client account with the platforms we work on. We see everyone from both sides of the fence, and we get to decide which writers are worth working with.  

Tip #3: Understand that annoying co-workers are everywhere

It doesn't matter the industry you're working in; there will always be at least one annoying co-worker. Just make sure this co-worker doesn't affect your ability to provide high levels of productivity.  After all, if you outshine your annoying co-worker, you very well may find yourself landing that promotion you've been seeking, and this will burn deep under the skin of the co-worker who has been burning deep under your's.  ​