Everyone I work with is amazing. In a peripatetic career, I've come across only a few workplaces where there is no politics, everyone just gets on with their job, and speaks to each other with respect, and respects what everyone does.
Except (of course) for one person. One highly toxic person.
How do you deal with a toxic colleague?
About teaching and crying
1 day ago
17 comments:
Oh dear. It depends on their brand of poison. Any clues?
Have you tried Pollonium?
Snigger.
Be phenomenally nice to him/her, in a really overbearing, Stepfordy way. Almost to the point of stalking.
I was going to say 'vicious mockery and sarcasm at every available opportunity' but I like Tim's idea better.
Tim Footman hits the nail on the head. Being nice to complete and utter arseholes really fucks them up.
I had a supervisor who used to bully everyone that worked for him. He was massive and nasty with it. When it came my turn for the treatment I started being extra super nice to him and he just couldn't deal with it. Tres funneee! :D
Be utterly ruthless and Machiavellian and force them to resign before they realise you've steered them into it.
It's the only way...
Oh you have ALL my sympathy. My last job working for someone else was made hell because of one toxic person, whom I had to work with very closely. The kind that smiles to your face, and stabs you in the back the moment it is turned. I held it out for about a year after things got bad, tried everything I could to clear the air, but at the end of the day the toxic fumes were coming from her, not from me. My only option was to leave - and boy, was I relieved to get out of there!
So - I'm afraid I'm not the best person to offer advice ... except maybe stay out of their way, which only works if they don't have a particular interest in bringing you down.
I really don't know! We have one here and he's just ruined everything :(
If you find out how to deal with it, let me know!
Darling, you resign and go freelance and never have to have another colleague ever again. Nervous breakdowns every day for the rest of your life, but no colleagues.
What kind of toxic are they? If he/she is openly unpleasant, then I think Tim's solution is best but, if he/she is smiley to your face (as in Alda's scenario) then...I'm not sure really. I do sympathise, though - these people make life very difficult at times.
Everyone at my work has some degree of toxicity in order to survive. We usually just set 'em up for a fall if they get too poisonous.
On a Friday afternoon just after they've left for the day sprinkle some cress seeds on their office floor and then water.
It's the green solution to a toxic problem.
I would quite like to try pollonium. Though they probably have pollonium for breakfast, such is their toxicity.
See, people, I would love to be more specific about the nature of this colleague, but it's only a matter of time before someone from work stumbles across this and then it'll be red faces all round. Let's just say an intractable hostile aggressive attitude and a fairly key position are not a great combination.
Can't be nasty as it will have impact. Can't be nice as QUITE FRANKLY I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO FANNY AROUND WITH PEOPLE BEING STROPPY WHEN THEY SHOULD JUST GET ON WITH THEIR FUCKING JOB WHICH THEY'RE PAID TO DO ahem. Can't really avoid either. Grrr... I quite like us' solution, and BiB's most of all. But really, I wish a tree would fall on them.
That could be arranged.
If you can't beat them, shoot them.
Or accuse them of sexual harrassment. Your word against their's. Like taking the 50/50 in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Except, you know, lying.
Gather complaints from everyone – if necessary keep a diary – then take to management.
Unless they are management.
Which was the situation I was in with the toxic colleague.
Sending big hugs, though. I still hate Madame Toxic Plasmosis. Years on.
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