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March 1, 2010

Protect Yourself from Toxic Colleagues

By Blaine Loomer

The Tattletales

Who keeps the office rumor mill going? How does your boss finds out about every little mistake from you and your colleagues right after it happens? Look no further than your office Tattletale. Some folks might strive to be bearers of good news; not the Tattletales. They deal in negative office rumors and gossip, or in any other information that they think they can use to get ahead. They love to share bad news—as long as it is about somebody else.

How to protect yourself? Keep your mouth shut. Don’t disclose anything you don’t want everyone to know about. The only thing you can trust about Tattletales is that they will disclose any information you tell them if doing so will give them a leg up in the company. Remember, anything you say to them can and will be used against you.

Tattletales have some value. If you want to spread information, just tell your office Tattletale and ask him to keep the information confidential. He won’t be able to resist the temptation, and your message will quickly spread throughout the company.

The Points Shavers

We all know someone who is a Points Shaver. She keeps score on everything. Anything she does for you is recorded on her mental scoreboard, and she expects to be repaid at some point—in the near future.

Points Shavers seem to remember what they have done for you and forget what you have done for them. Whenever you ask for a favor, they start in on a long list of what they have done for you in the past, and how your new requests will increase the debt you owe them. They’ve forgotten how many times they cashed in on their favors.

How to protect yourself? When dealing with a Points Shaver, keep in mind that the score is never tied. Don’t bother keeping score unless it’s worth your time. The best way to keep your sanity may be to avoid the Points Shaver altogether.