5 Types of Toxic Coworkers and How to Deal With Them
Rafael Maga?a
Senior Director Of Development - Corporate Partnerships, Major Gifts, & Planned Giving
Whether you are just getting started with your career or already looking forward to retirement, chances are you will encounter some difficult coworkers along the way. Everyone has a different personality, and every worker brings their own personal baggage to the office.
That can create some difficult encounters, and many of them will involve five common types of toxic coworkers. Here are five unique individuals that may be lurking in your workplace.
1.The Gossip Girl (or Guy)
This common office denizen is the final authority on all the goings-on, from whose job is on the chopping block to which projects are over budget. Unfortunately, the office gossip often goes far beyond the professional, delving into the personal lives of their coworkers and inviting all kinds of disagreements and interpersonal problems.
Refusing to participate is the best way to deal with an office gossip. Pretty soon, they will see you are not interested, and they will peddle their juicy tidbits elsewhere.
2. The Negative Nellie (or Ned)
This is the person who always sees the glass half empty when they see any glass at all. No news is good enough to shake the negative Nellie (or Ned) from their certainty that things will ultimately turn out badly.
All this negativity can be quite contagious, so it is best to tune out these toxic coworkers. Attempts to fight back with good news generally fall on deaf ears, so avoidance is the best way to stop the contagion.
3. The Glory Hog
The glory hog is reluctant to chip in on those big projects, but he or she is only too happy to take the credit when things turn out well. When things turn out badly, however, the glory hog does a quick 180, blaming everyone else for the failure of the project.
Glory hogs are all too common in the modern office, and dealing with them can be a real challenge. You can start by documenting your own work as thoroughly as possible, keeping the boss informed about your progress and tooting your own horn on occasion. No matter what you do, you do not want to let the glory hog grab the credit for your hard work.
4. The Office Snitch
Remember that kid who immediately ran to the teacher when one of your classmates broke the rules? That kid is now all grown up - and working in your office.
The office snitch may be grown up, but their tactics are still the same as in grade school. If you miss a deadline or run afoul of an ill-considered office policy, you can bet the office snitch will be there to tell on you.
Dealing with the office snitch can be an exercise in frustration, and you may need to go above and beyond to avoid their wrath. Sticking to the letter as well as the spirit of the aforementioned office rules is a good place to start, as is being extra conscientious about what you do.
5. The Suck-up
This coworker can typically be found hovering near the boss, and sometimes firmly attached to the boss' backside. You know the type.
The office suck-up is constantly currying favor with the boss, seeking the approval they often lack in the outside world. The best way to deal with this kind of toxic coworker is by forging your own positive relationships. If your boss knows they can always count on you, the actions of the office suck-up will have a much lower impact.
As the saying goes, you cannot pick your family, and the same is true of your coworkers. Unless you are the one doing the hiring, you have little control over which personality type occupies the cubicle next to yours.
What you do have control over is how you react to those potentially toxic coworkers. You may not be able to avoid working with these difficult people, but you can stop their toxicity from spreading and ruining your own career, your team, and your organization.
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Copyright August 10, 2019 by Rafael Maga?a. Contact for usage license.
Rafael Maga?a helps organizations grow. Helps leaders accelerate strategy implementation in their organizations. Specializes in donor-centered Philanthropy. Major Gift Officer -Veritus Scholar. Director of Development & Communications at BREATHE California of Los Angeles County. Director of Development at the Emphysema Foundation of America. Enjoys writing about leadership and management in organizations. Founder of Latino Professionals and Latina Professionals. Resides in California.
Follow Rafael on LinkedIn and on Twitter: @RafaelMagana
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely my own.
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