Dear Bogey,
I have been working at a country club in my home town for two years. I am a student-athlete at a university that is three hours away. With my schedule being so busy at school, I do not have time to have a job. But when I go home for the holidays, I go and work at the club to earn some extra spending money for when I go back to school. The problem I am facing is that when I am gone, new people come in and work at the club. I have this one co-worker who has been working at the club for only two months. When I come back to work, she is constantly looking over my shoulder and always claiming I am doing something wrong, even though I have been working there far longer than she has. I may not have been there for a while, but I know the ins and outs of how the process works at the club. How do I tell her that I know what I am doing without causing drama in the work atmosphere?
Sincerely,
Seasonal Student Worker
Dear Seasonal Student Worker,
This is a common situation and can be very frustrating. When someone questions your credibility, it can be harmful to your self-esteem. In Interpersonal Communication, Floyd discusses self-esteem and the way it affects how we see others. When individuals have low self-esteem, they tend to be more judgemental of others (Floyd, 2023). Your co-worker’s self-esteem could be threatened by your presence, so she could be projecting her self-doubts onto you. It is important to not let this affect you or your performance in the workplace. A way you could promote reassurance would be to inform her that you think her way is effective. However, you have been using the same method for years, and it is equally effective.
Keeping the workplace drama-free is important because it can negatively affect you, your performance, and the performance of your co-workers. Scholars suggest several tips for getting along with co-workers. These tips include being aware of the messages your body language is sending, focusing on your work, avoiding adding fuel to the fire, and commanding respect (Einstein, 2013). Our body language sends hundreds of nonverbal messages to others whether one realizes it or not. It is important to be aware of the nonverbal messages you are sending and ensure they are appropriate.
When bringing this situation up with your co-worker, you want to avoid any possible drama. Floyd discusses how communication plays a significant role in creating a defensive or supportive communication climate (Floyd, 2023). A defensive communication climate will only worsen the situation because she will be concerned with guarding herself against any threats. Whereas a supportive communication climate will reinforce feelings of assurance. While discussing your feelings about the situation with your co-worker, it will be important to ensure a supportive climate so you can avoid drama and resolve the issue. To create a supportive climate, it is important to establish trust, acknowledge effort, and be open.
Feedback is crucial in the workplace, it promotes motivation, accountability, and open communication. A common misconception is that feedback is negative or will cause drama. It is not the feedback that causes drama, but the delivery. When addressing this situation with your co-worker, ensure you have a proactive delivery to avoid workplace drama. A proactive delivery includes prompt feedback, constructive criticism, and a positive attitude. Scholars discuss the importance of the steps before feedback is given, which include the arrangement of the feedback (Pelgrim et al., 2012). The steps taken before the feedback is given will affect how it is perceived.
Sincerely,
Bogey
References
Einstein, J. L. (2013). Job stress and the librarian. Google Books. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dQk3AAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA5&dq=how%2Bto%2Bavoid%2Bco-workers%2Bworkplace%2Bdrama&ots=UB1UAVDBv0&sig=2e7yG83N1T-cd2roRQyQq_HTD2k#v=onepage&q=how%20to%20avoid%20co-workers%20workplace%20drama&f=false
Floyd, K (2021). Interpersonal Communication (4th ed.). McGraw Hill Education. https://platform.virdocs.com/read/1525600/314/#/4/2
Pelgrim, E. A., Kramer, A. W., Mokkink, H. G., & van der Vleuten, C. P. (2012, May 24). The process of feedback in workplace‐based assessment: Organisation … The process of feedback in workplace-based assessment: organization, delivery, continuity. https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2012.04266.x
