How to Avoid Workplace Drama

 

You’re already a kick ass chick especially when it comes to your 9-5 so you can’t afford to let workplace drama get in the way of your reputation as you climb your way up the corporate ladder.   It’s inevitable that gossip, rumors, and cliques will be present in any office setting so the smartest thing a badass like yourself can do is let the shit hit someone else’s fan at the end of the day. 

Minding your business sounds easy enough right?  You would think so, but most of us have to train ourselves to not give a shit about what others say about you when they gossip, so here’s how to keep your career goals in mind and make your workplace a more enjoyable place.

Be Generous with Small Talk

So maybe the guy who refills his coffee 6 times a day doesn’t have a single thing in common with you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly to him.  This goes beyond saying hi when you pass him at the water cooler.  Make it a point to strike up small talk at least once or twice a month with every person in your office when the scenario is right.  What else are you going to do in those awkward ass moments when you are both waiting in line to use the microwave?  Hell, talk about the weather if you have to, just don’t stand there like a deer in headlights. 

Small talk can be anything from a lame compliment about his Family Guy coffee mug, to just being generous and allowing him to use the microwave ahead of you.   You may feel awkward at first, but it’s a way to break the ice with someone you barely know and don’t seem to have much in common with.  Plus, as a badass, it’s important to stay on everyone’s good side by just being friendly so that your reputation as a nice person gets you further up the ladder. 

Smile and Say Hi to Strangers in Your Building

If you work in a building and don’t know people on other floors by name, that doesn’t mean they won’t recognize your face someday if someone points you out as a candidate for a new position.  What better way for them to respond than saying that you always seem very friendly when they cross paths with you in the lobby. So quit staring at the ground or pretending to be on your phone when someone makes eye contact with you in the hall.  Instead, keep a smile on your face and when you’re close enough say Hello!   Smiling will automatically make you look more approachable and will make your “Hello” sound even more enthusiastic.  So smile like you mean it, and remember you never know who you may be sitting across from in a job interview someday.   Don’t burn those bridges girl, build new ones!

Don’t Agree With Gossip

Everyone has that one snarky coworker that has to insult everyone behind their backs.  Let HER be the bitchy one and you just stay out of it.  Being a badass doesn’t mean you have to put others down to feel more awesome; it just means you need to be the best version of you.  So just nod and acknowledge what she’s telling you with a simple “I see.”   Sure, it sounds lame, but sometimes it’s just enough to give her the hint that you don’t give a shit about the hole in the new girl’s sweater.  I mean really, there’s so much more to life than discussing other people’s wardrobe details.

Stay Neutral

No matter what the issue, whether it’s tension between two coworkers or a nasty rumor about your boss, stay neutral and be on your own team, which is obviously the best team to be on.  This not only keeps your ass out of trouble but it makes you feel better about yourself.  You’re bound to hear both sides of a story so if you just stay neutral and use the “nod and acknowledge” method to  give someone the hint to shut the hell up.  Even changing the subject can be a subtle way of indicating that you aren’t in Middle School anymore so YOU DON’T CARE!

Be Kind to Your Haters; They’re Your Biggest Fans

There will come a time if it hasn’t already happened, that you’re good looks, sharp skills, and intelligence will clearly make some people feel inferior.  You may stay out of office gossip but that doesn’t mean you’ll never be the topic of it.  If someone gossips TO you, they probably gossip ABOUT you.  If you do catch wind of something someone said about you, just rise above and let it go.  Obviously everyone can’t be as amazing and independent as you so just consider the attention they give you a compliment because you’ve clearly affected their life. Strut your stuff even more when you pass by them in the hall and smile and remember that there’s no need to get upset.   Anyone that says something nasty about you is just hatin’ on your success and really, have you ever seen a hater doing better than you?

Save the Drama For Your Mama

As tempting as it may be to vent to someone about workplace drama, shut your pretty mouth and take it home with you.  Whether you have to tell your mom, your best friend, or your husband…. keep it OUT of the workplace so it can never bite you in the ass.

And that’s how you kick ass in your career and in your cubicle!

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