If you’re in a workplace where you don’t trust the people around you, it can be hard to do your job. You may feel like you’re not being heard and that no one cares about what’s going on with your project or team.
But if you stay calm, collected, and respectful of other’s emotions, it’s possible to work through these problems! A coworker you don’t trust will take advantage of any opportunity. Learn how to deal with that coworker before they disrupt your productivity and possibly ruins your business.
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When should you not trust a work colleague?
It can be challenging to decide whether to trust a coworker or not. Here are some tips on how you can determine if you can trust a coworker or not:
- when they are in a position of power over you and can make or break your career.
- when they have an interest in or stake in a decision that affects both of you.
- when they don’t have your best interests at heart—for example, if their job is threatened by yours.
- when they are not trustworthy—for example if they have lied to you in the past.
- when they put their own interests ahead of yours—for example if they ignore your suggestions or ideas and make decisions without your input.
- when they’re not honest about their intentions—for example, if they tell you one thing but do another behind your back.
How do you work with someone you don’t like or trust?
If you don’t like or trust someone, it can be hard to work with them. Here are some tips on how to manage the situation:
- Seek common ground and work from there.
- Find opportunities to get to know each other better.
- Ask yourself what you need in order to feel comfortable working with this person.
- Don’t make any assumptions about why you don’t like or trust this person; what is it about them that makes you feel that way?
- Identify one thing about yourself that might be contributing to the problem.
- Ask for help from someone who can provide perspective.
- Remember that everyone has something to offer, and they can be a source of support.
- Ask yourself what you need in order to feel comfortable working with this person.
How do you politely tell someone you don’t trust them?
If you’re a trusting person, then it can be hard to come up with the right words when someone has broken that trust. You may even feel like you don’t have the right to tell them how they hurt you. However, if this occurs frequently, it is critical that you say something so that both of you understand where each other stands.
Here are some tips for telling someone you don’t trust them:
- Be direct and honest. Don’t beat around the bush or make excuses for your feelings. Just be direct and clear about how you feel.
- Give them a chance to explain themselves. They may not have meant what it sounds like they meant, so let them explain their actions before making any judgments on their character.
- Ask them what they want from you. They may not even realize that they’ve hurt your feelings. Let them know how they made you feel and ask if there is something you can do to make it better between the two of you.
- Be willing to compromise. If you’ve been hurt by someone, it can be hard to forgive them. However, if they have something important to say or do, try not to get too emotional when they approach you with their request.
How do you deal better with coworkers you don’t trust?
If you’re someone who doesn’t trust the person, it’s best to keep your distance. But if you can be honest and respectful, then there are ways that both of you can deal better with one another.
- Be honest about what happened and why it happened.
- Be specific about what happened so that the other person knows exactly what has gone wrong in their work day or project, and explain why something wasn’t done in a certain way or at all (if this is an issue).
Let’s say one day someone was late for work because they got stuck waiting outside while their car heated up after being parked outside overnight during cold temperatures.
Instead of calling them out on this behavior directly without any context surrounding why hectic traffic made him late (elements such as road conditions), let him explain himself first before making assumptions based solely upon his actions and consider all factors contributing toward such occurrences if it’s going to happen again next time around.

What you need to do if you don’t trust your coworker
The first step is to be patient. You’re not dealing with a child here, so take some deep breaths and remind yourself that they are indeed an adult. Their behavior is not personal, and it’s probably not even conscious.
If they are intentionally being two-faced, you may have to take a different approach. If they’re constantly complaining about you behind your back, confront them directly and ask what’s bothering them. Try not to come across as angry or annoyed—this is an opportunity for constructive feedback that can benefit both of you in the long run.
If a friend’s behavior is negatively impacting your ability to enjoy the relationship, then it’s time for some tough love. Try explaining why their behavior bothers you so much and what they can do differently in the future. If they are receptive to this feedback, then great! You’ve just strengthened your friendship by getting things out in the open.
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Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some helpful tips on how to deal with coworkers who make you uncomfortable. Remember that the most important thing is, to be honest about your feelings and not bottle them up so that everyone can work together more effectively.
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