Modern Dilemmas: Wise up! Key steps when taking on office smart alec

Dear Alex, Someone at work is trying my nerves and contradicting me in meetings and generally causing trouble.

I’m about to take a stand and nip this silly behaviour in the bud, but am slightly fearful that I might make it worse. What do you suggest?

Expect setbacks when you stand up against someone playing power games with you at work. Here are six interesting characters to be on the lookout for and how you can “respond”.

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The Minimizer: This person immediately attempts to diminish your actions by down playing them. Essentially, they want to marginalise you, which can immediately feel disrespectful, hurtful, and frustrating. Don’t fall for it! 
Don’t get into a conversation about why you believe your opinions are important. 
Restate them with a bit more resolve and redirect the conversation towards a constructive solution.

The Caretaker: Someone may decide to be your Caretaker and express such concerns as, “You haven’t been yourself lately. Are you all right? You’ve been pretty edgy and people have been wondering if there is maybe something wrong at home.” 
The Caretaker may be a true friend who is sincerely concerned with your welfare or the Caretaker might be a false friend who is just gathering data to somehow leverage against you. Proceed with caution.

The Distracter: This person tries to get you off track from your main point by saying things that are seemingly valid. Statements may come in the form of criticising your overall worthiness and emotional stability with comments such as, “Don’t you think you’re over-reacting?” or “What you should really care about is...” 
These kinds of questions and comments are designed to escalate tension and rattle you. Stay calm and stay focused on your message.

The Fidgeter: Another person who engages in rattling manoeuvres. You’re tense. You’re uncertain. You’re trying to express your concerns clearly and unemotionally. But the person you’re talking to keeps looking at his or her watch, shuffling and reorganising papers and glancing out the door. Stay focused and take your time. They’ll just have to wait until you’re finished.

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The Threatener: This person threatens consequences that are out of proportion to merely speaking your mind. When someone overreacts to your message in a threatening way, try not to take the warnings personally, but do take note. Write down what was said, word for word. 
You never know when you’ll need that information.