home / skills / menkesu / awesome-pm-skills / workplace-navigation

workplace-navigation skill

safe

This skill helps you navigate difficult colleagues and resolve conflicts using structured frameworks to protect relationships and maintain progress.

npx playbooks add skill menkesu/awesome-pm-skills --skill workplace-navigation

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: workplace-navigation
description: Handles difficult colleagues and resolves conflicts using frameworks from Anneka Gupta and workplace dynamics research. Use when dealing with blocking colleagues, toxic dynamics, or maintaining relationships under stress.
---

# Navigating Difficult Colleagues

## When This Skill Activates

Claude uses this skill when:
- Dealing with difficult colleagues
- Resolving team conflicts
- Managing toxic dynamics
- Maintaining relationships under stress

## Core Frameworks

### 1. Understanding Difficult Behavior

**Common Causes:**
- Fear (insecurity, job security)
- Misalignment (different goals)
- Ego (need to be right)
- Style differences (communication)

### 2. Conflict Resolution Pattern

**The Approach:**
1. **Understand root cause**
2. **Find shared goals**
3. **Address directly**
4. **Escalate if needed**

---

## Action Templates

### Template: Difficult Colleague Strategy

```markdown
# Colleague: [Name]

## Behavior Pattern
- What they do: [describe]
- Impact on work: [describe]
- Frequency: [often/sometimes/rarely]

## Root Cause Hypothesis
- Fear: [possible insecurity]
- Misalignment: [different goals]
- Ego: [need for control/recognition]
- Style: [communication difference]

## Approach

### 1. One-on-One
- Goal: Understand their perspective
- Opening: "[Non-confrontational question]"
- Listen for: [underlying concerns]

### 2. Find Common Ground
- Shared goal: [what we both want]
- Frame collaboration: [how we both win]

### 3. Set Boundaries
- What's acceptable: [define]
- What's not: [define]
- Consequences: [if behavior continues]

### 4. Escalation Path (if needed)
- When: [after X attempts fail]
- To whom: [manager, HR]
- With: [documented examples]
```

---

## Quick Reference

### 🚧 Navigation Checklist

**Before Confronting:**
- [ ] Understand root cause
- [ ] Check your own role
- [ ] Prepare non-confrontational opening
- [ ] Find shared goals

**During Conversation:**
- [ ] Stay calm
- [ ] Listen actively
- [ ] Focus on behavior, not person
- [ ] Offer collaboration

**If Unsuccessful:**
- [ ] Document instances
- [ ] Loop in manager
- [ ] Set boundaries
- [ ] Protect your work

---

## Key Quotes

**Anneka Gupta:**
> "Most difficult behavior comes from fear or misalignment, not malice."

Overview

This skill helps product managers and individual contributors navigate difficult colleagues, resolve team conflicts, and maintain productive relationships under stress. It distills frameworks from Anneka Gupta and workplace dynamics research into a practical, repeatable approach. Use it to diagnose behavior, run constructive conversations, and decide when to escalate.

How this skill works

The skill inspects behaviors, frequency, and impact to generate a root-cause hypothesis (fear, misalignment, ego, or style differences). It then recommends a staged conflict-resolution pattern: one-on-one understanding, finding shared goals, setting boundaries, and a clear escalation path. Templates and a quick checklist guide wording, evidence collection, and next steps.

When to use it

A colleague repeatedly blocks progress on a project
You encounter persistent toxic dynamics affecting team morale
Communication style mismatches create frequent misunderstandings
You need to preserve a working relationship while addressing harmful behavior
Before escalating issues to a manager or HR

Best practices

Start with a hypothesis about root cause, not judgment — ask questions to confirm
Prepare a non-confrontational opening and listen actively to gather facts
Focus feedback on specific behaviors and impacts, not character or intent
Define acceptable boundaries and agreed consequences before escalating
Document interactions and attempts to resolve before involving managers or HR

Example use cases

Run a one-on-one template when a stakeholder regularly changes priorities and blocks delivery
Use the quick navigation checklist before confronting someone to ensure calm, evidence-based conversation
Apply the root-cause framework if a teammate’s defensiveness appears driven by fear of job security
Set an escalation path after documenting repeated breaches of agreed boundaries affecting your work

FAQ

What if the other person refuses to engage in a one-on-one?

Document the refusal, continue to focus on observable impacts in shared work, and escalate with evidence to your manager or HR after a defined number of attempts.

How long should I try informal resolution before escalating?

Attempt 2–3 structured one-on-ones over a few weeks, unless the behavior is severe; use that window to document examples and set clear expectations before escalation.

How do I protect my own work while resolving conflict?

Set concrete boundaries, keep written records of decisions and approvals, copy relevant stakeholders on key communications, and avoid making unilateral changes that increase risk.