Not vibing with a teammate.

Got beef with a co-worker.

Work drama.

No matter how you say it, most of us have experienced some kind of tension with a peer at work, and it always makes the job harder than it needs to be.

In my 20+ years of work experience, I’m grateful to say I’ve worked mostly with outstanding people, some of whom have become long-time friends. But if I told you I’ve also worked with people who were defensive, unreliable, and manipulative, you probably wouldn’t be surprised.

Here’s a real example: I once had a co-worker notice how frustrated I was after realizing I had made a mistake on a large printed banner for an upcoming job fair. It was a minor error (I forgot to add an “S” to the end of “Human Resources”), but this person saw it as leverage. He told me that if I didn’t mention his poor work ethic to our boss, he wouldn’t tell him about my banner order mistake I had signed off on.

Yeah, that really happened.

Since not everyone has the same personality and every situation is different, here are three approaches to resolving work conflict (or, if you prefer, “office beef mediation”)—choose the one that fits your situation best:

1. Stay True to Yourself

If your co-worker is unreliable or manipulative, hold your line. Don’t lower your standards just to please others. As Patrick Bet-David says: “You train people how to treat you by what you tolerate.”

2. Have the Difficult Conversation

Approach difficult teammates with a calm, honest conversation, not to attack, but to share how their behavior affects the team. Simon Sinek puts it perfectly: “The goal is not to be right; the goal is to get it right.”

3. Hang in There

Time exposes everything. Watch that co-worker over time and don’t react emotionally to isolated events. If the same issues repeatedly show up, that’s your cue to adjust how much trust or reliance you place on that person.

In short: Be firm. Be patient. Let your consistency elevate you above the work drama. I know, it’s easier said than done. But it can be done. You got this.

Bonus: Curious how I handled that manipulative co-worker?

I didn’t want him thinking he had something to hold over me, so I just went straight to my boss and owned up to the banner mistake.

My boss didn’t think it was a big deal (honest mistake-just don’t do it again). He was just glad we had a banner and some company-logo tchotchkes at the table to hand out.

As for my co-worker? He was a time bomb waiting to go off. My boss let him go two months later.