How to Deal With Workplace Backstabbers. The workplace can be a great environment in which to make good friends, or at the least, learn how to improve your communication and teamwork skills. It’s not always that simple when it comes to your co-workers. Backstabbing and other negative interactions also are sure to be a part of your career experience.
The various ways in which backstabbing can occur are numerous:
Finger-pointing
Spreading of rumors
Dumping of responsibilities on others
Stealing ideas and taking credit
Belittling of ideas and someone’s role in the workplace
Not supporting a co-worker’s project
These are just a few of the disrupting and frustrating issues that you may contend with from jealous, insecure, or otherwise mean co-workers.
How to Remedy the Situation
You may think it is hopeless to do much of anything about it when someone takes one of these actions towards you. If you never had any experience with the negativity of this kind at work, it can come as a shock and leave you reeling. However, there are some things that you can do to resolve such issues.
Make sure that you know what is going on, and who is the one responsible for the misdeeds or talking behind your back. Once you have your information, you can either speak to that person directly or go above their head to a manager or supervisor of your department.
It is important to recognize what a person’s motives are for backstabbing. If you can have a sit-down with him or her, all the better to determine what the issues are at hand. Maybe your co-worker feels slighted by something you didn’t realize you did. There was some sort of miscommunication between you and the individual. Or the person is hoping to receive a highly coveted promotion and got caught up in the competition aspect of it all. Either way, it is best to handle it civilly and honestly if this is a viable option.
Remember, many people who gossip in the workplace are doing so to see what trouble they can stir up. Or if they can make someone look bad. If you react with a sense of grace and dignity in the face of workplace rumors and other forms of backstabbing, you’ll be one step ahead of the individual. It is also far less likely to affect your performance.