Identifying and Dealing with Manipulative Colleagues
Have you ever come across a manipulative worker in your workspace? There are so many of them out here, and at times, it is so hard to figure out if they are using you. According to a PhD scholar on psychology, manipulative coworkers are the worst you can ever have on your team; they will just take advantage of you and stampede over you in the race to get ahead.
So how do you figure out who is using and who is sincere? Here are some behavioral signs that serve as a good indication of manipulative personalities. Take note of these and when you find them in someone, be aware.
Your are made to feel stressed out and then immediately relieved of it.
Ever come across someone who makes you anxious and puts your nerves on end? And the next thing you know, they calm you down somehow. Though anybody can display this sign, it will probably be your boss. As an example, your boss may get annoyed at some trivial mistake that you make, and once they are done with the outburst, they will tell you it is okay as long as you do not make the same mistake again and be a little more productive next time.
So basically, your emotions are being played with and you are being persuaded to work even more. This is a tactic that police officers use to force criminals to confess, and it is not suitable to a workplace, but it can often be observed.
You feel guilty… and there is no obvious reason for it.
Did one of your coworkers ever do a favor for you? Indeed, you should thank him for it, but if they remind you of it every time and ask you to do something for them over and over in return, they just did for their own purposes and not for your good. You have already thanked them, and there is no need for you to do things for them every time they ask you out of guilt.
You are left out of something important.
Were you purposefully not invited to an important meeting or are you never emailed about any updates? It might be that others fear you may take the lead. Be proactive and start involving yourself so that you do not hurt your career – take the initiative to make sure you are kept in the loop.
Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment the next time you experience any of these signs – be proactive.
Source: www.entrepreneur.com