At your workplace, you are going to encounter people with distinct personalities. Some of them are going to be really helpful, motivating and credible. While on the other hand, you may find coworkers who pester you to a point you feel difficult to be in the same room as them. The worst of them all are the fake ones.
You are exactly aware of the type, right? It becomes irritating when they talk to you and be something in front of your face that they are completely opposite of behind your back. Perhaps you want to fake a smile too and be a sham of a person as them or you should confront them or report about it to the boss. A lot depends on different individual experiences.
If this has always left you wondering on how to deal with that person, here are some ways.
Get your facts clear.
It is never wise to storm out of a room to the person with rage in your eyes to confront about the situation. First, check with your sources and confirm your facts. If you have suspicions, only believe it if you witnessed the coworker being wicked yourself. Workplace gossips can grow out of control. To save yourself the unnecessary drama, never assume but get your facts clear.
Distance yourself.
Now that your facts are clear and your suspicions were true, try distancing yourself from that colleague. You know they are very friendly on your face but would push you off a cliff once you turn your back on them. It is better to limit your confrontations with such a person. This doesn’t mean being evidently rude but avoiding any face time with such colleague will give them fewer details about you, to use against you.
Documentation
You would think it’s a bit paranoid to actually document what that colleague did or said. But how else will you attest to the fact when you are confronting to a superior about the situation? Thus, keep your communication with that coworker over emails to keep records. If they said something to you verbally, jot it down, with the day, date and time. It will be constructive proof to make your life easier.
Confrontation
Has it been too long that you are facing this trouble of two façade from your coworker? Perhaps it is affecting your everyday productivity. It is now time for the harsh but honest confrontation.
Your best call would be to set up a meeting with that colleague in a private and quiet place. You just need to talk and state the behavior that has been bothering you. Maybe the coworker will, in fact, give up, accept and apologize to you. However, the more likely scenario would be that they refuse badly about it. They will deny the fact and leave you more frustrated than ever but it surely was put up on display and you stated your point. Possibly they will later give up treating you the way they do, now that they know you have noticed.
If things are still bad as before and something has just made them more unstoppable, take your proofs and concerns to the higher-ups. You are not obligated to tip-toe around this colleague like nothing has happened.
Stay away from the need for revenge
With what the coworker put you through, wouldn’t it be fair to just let them have the taste of their own medicine, right? Sorry, but no!
As appealing the sweet innocent yet evil thought maybe, never forget that you are in a professional setting. Your career is more important than the temptation of retaliation. You know the feeling of being in the position to have suffered a two faced person. You should avoid the urge to do the harm to others or even the same person.
The situation is faced by many and yet most avoid really dealing with the sticky situation. The smart way is to be polite and professional always.
