How to Avoid Workplace Drama

How to Avoid Workplace DramaHow to Avoid Workplace DramaSometimes I get a charlie horse at night. I wake to that telltale ache, and then I have to keep my leg bent and my muscle relaxed. If, in my grogginess, I mistakenly stretch into the cramp, boom. It gets me. Im left with a wicked kink, and my muscle is sore for days. Workplace drama, which involves purposefully exaggerating a situation to attract extra emotional attention, is similar at the onset. When someone tries to entice us with drama, there is a moment where we get to decide, Am I going to minimize this or stretch into the cramp?Professional relationships dont require of us what personal relationships do. If you have a drama seeker in your workgroup, you dont have to take that on. You just have to figure out how to navigate around that persons dysfunction. If you manage the kollektiv, then its in your units best interest for you to hold the instigator accountable for his or her activity. The fact that an individual is inci ting unnecessary problems shouldnt be countered with an emotional response. That will leave you with a charlie horse. Instead, cite that individual for trying to inciting chaos on your team and show him or her that you wont tolerate it.Whatever your role, refrain from engaging the drama. This is a choice you get to make. Heres how. Control How Much of Your Ego is Tied up in Your Work It feels great to do a good job at work and to be a part of a successful team. Theres nothing like the buzz of operating at full capacity. But there are all kinds of people at work. Some are not happy, and they may take that out on those around them. Sometimes they are in leadership positions, and their drama is especially hard to dodge. While working in the right environment can be fulfilling, it is only one stream of affirmation that validates your sense of self. Develop other parts of yourself, too, so that your identity and your success doesnt just come from one source. Cultivate other affirmation s treams. Join a club, coach a team, take a class. You are full of talents and abilities. The mora you explore them, the more affirmation you get back. This fortifies your psychological immune system, and it makes it harder for those who may try to rattle your cage. Developing your other interests helps you to know yourself better. It creates genuine self-esteem. Drama houndsthe bullies, busibodies, etc.like to engage easy prey. You cant change this about them. When you fortify yourself from within, you make yourself less vulnerable to others chaos. Know Your Truth Drama seekers excel at creating confusion among their contemporaries. When gossiping, bullying or other bad workplace behavior takes root, less work gets done and the drama seeker who started it can assume a faux leadership role. Its a breakdown of professionalism that causes discomfort and dissatisfaction. If you manage the unit, nip this in the bud. But if you dont, and this is happening on your team, then your best appro ach is to hold tightly to your own truth. Its hard to have a clear vision of reality in a culture that doesnt seem sane, so dont look to that culture for clarity. Trust yourself. Also know what you are willing to stand for and what you wont. If you feel that the drama has crossed a line and your manager isnt showing leadership despite your urgings, then it may be time to look for a new job.You deserve a workplace culture where colleagues dont have the opportunity to needlessly ramp up the level of emotion. Your manager should have the leadership skills to nix that behavior. Remember Work isnt supposed to siphon off emotional energy that you need for your personal life. The point of professionalism is that its a code of behavior that keeps unnecessary emotion out of your worklife. If someone is blurring those lines, then he or she is invading your personal space. You dont have to put up with that.