How To Deal With An Immature Person

Photo Courtesy: L. Marie

Growth and development occur not just at a physical level but at an emotional and intellectual level as well. But some people just seem to grow physically while retaining the IQ and EQ of a buffoon. Contrary to what you think, they are really very large in number. You will come across them in the workplace, in the market and may be even in your family. So it is crucial that you recognize the tell-tale signs of immaturity and figure out ways to deal with them. We will help you in doing just that.

To start with, let us see how to recognize an immature person. An immature person may have any or all of the following not so good qualities:
1. They are always throwing tantrums.

2. They are mostly attention seekers.

3. They never learnt to share or work in groups.

4. They are always complaining and pouting about something or the other.

5. They are the least dependable among the lot.

6. They work according to their strange whims and fancies.

So now the point is how to deal with them. It actually depends on the situation and which among the above six signs they are displaying. Still, some general ways of dealing with such people are:

i. Communication:

You can try to keep the lines of communication open. You can try to identify the problem and resolve them through open discussion. But the only chink in the armor is that since they are immature, it is doubtful whether having a frank discussion with them will help. Still what is wrong in giving it a try? And if it doesn’t work then try the other ways that are mentioned here.

ii. Authority:

Authoritative command can be a great tool to deal with immaturity in the workplace. If you are the boss and you have the privilege of having such subordinates, never feel guilty in imposing your authority on them. There are some people who need to be taught the hard way and if discussion cannot resolve the issue, authority surely will.

iii. Direct confrontation:

You can directly confront the immature guys and show them their faults. Let them know their childish behavior is irritating you and creating a negative environment in the office and ask them to mend their ways. It is different from open communication in the sense that confrontation is stronger and may even require you to say some tough things rather than being polite.

iv. Never cover up:

Don’t ever make the mistake of covering up for these people when they make any mistake or some glitch crops up due to their negligence. They will never thank you for it. On the contrary, they might just get used to it and if in the future in case you don’t cover up for them they will just ridicule you. So it’s better to let them handle their inadequacies.

v. Don’t ever stoop to their level:

Just because they are immature doesn’t mean you will cease to be a grown up. Let them continue with their childish acts, why should you follow in their footsteps. Let it be the other way round.

vi. Avoidance:

Sometimes it is just best to avoid these people. Let the immature drown in the ocean of their follies and buffoonery. You just get on with your job. In fact, out of all the ways mentioned here, this might just do the trick when all others fail.