Every office has one. The person who always has to rain on everyone else’s parade when good news has been given. The person who always has to go back and be a news gazette to management. The one who will purposely not give you your messages so that you look bad.
Chances are, you have a hater in your office.
Having a hater in your office is a rite of passage. It’s also something that you cannot avoid. But what you can control is how you choose to deal (or not deal) with their negative behavior and backstabbing tactics.
- Never let your office mate know that you know they are a hater. What they want is for you to spazz out and make a scene in the office, therefore making you look like the bad guy. Don’t succumb to their need for attention. Also never let the office hater see you sweat!
- Always CC emails and keep a papertrail when it comes to the inner office hater. Why? That is to avoid them pretending not to know about a deadline or a communication that the two of you have shared. When they think they have you in a corner, your papertrail will always save you.
- Don’t get personal with the office hater. Do not share any of your information with them at all, for they will try to use it against you. Simply stay cordial with your hellos and goodbyes and only talk to them about office related items.
- Work hard. An office hater’s greatest reward is to see you fail. Don’t allow that to happen. Do your job 110%, meet every goal, every deadline and eventually, the office hater will move onto another target because they see they can’t shake you!
- If you can’t think of any office haters in your company, it may be that you are the culprit. Make sure that you work well with others, keep an open mind, and leave the judgement for after hours as to not interfere with work. Doing so will keep you from being the office hater.
I hope the few tips I gave you will help you better understand and deal with the office hater in your cubicle space. Brush em off and keep it moving.
Now what if the hater in the office is your boss? That is another blog post for another time.
I have had some very, very bad experiences with office haters. Very bad, as in there were lies & hateful rumors about the identity of the father of my child. I prayed my way through it & I really mean that because I wanted to blow up the building and everyone in it. I still have residual anger over that because it was so personal, untrue and an attempt to get me fired for nothing.
Your advice is very good, but I think there are some things that can't be brushed off.
Wow! That is too deep. Most hateration is not as heavy as what you experienced. As an HR professional, that should've been handled by management, and if it continued, disciplinary action would have been warranted.
Well, I don't have an office hater, but it's sad that they have to stoop that low to make you look bad so that they can appear important.