Back stabbing, double talk, two facing… there’s nothing worse than people who’re nice to your face, then walk all over your inter-office reputation when you’re not around to defend yourself:
- Build political capital by always being nice and doing good deeds: This is like putting money in the bank, but there are still people who’ll not be impressed by your efforts and try to thwart your progress and/or general workplace happiness.
- Back stabbing is more prevalent during times when job security is in question: A tame dog will go feral within ten days, in most cases, when they no longer have us to feed and pamper them, finding themselves desperate for food and shelter — sadly, as consummate planners, humans go into “beast mode” at the mere thought of starving or losing shelter (i.e., losing job).
- Instead of over-reacting when you’re “stabbed”, confront the person NICELY: Boy, this has to be the hardest tip of them all, isn’t it? Not sure how this would work with most back stabbing types, but Karen Salmansohn is an expert on the human condition (see her on HuffPost).
The best advice that most of us could definitely benefit from:
Avoid paranoia, or “Snow Globe Head” in the workplace by staying CALM and maintaining a “namaste” state of mind.
Hope this helps someone out there.
Post your tips for thwarting back stabbing at the office.
