Jealousy at Work: How to Manage It?
3 April 2015
Read by 4367 persons
They say Woody Allen had a very interesting quote: "People never hate you for your weaknesses, they hate you for your strengths." This is especially true in the workplace.
So what can you do to fight it, avoid it, defuse it, distance yourself from it... In short, how do you manage it?
1/ Be diplomatic and kind.
Even, and especially when working in a team, everyone is striving for that promotion that will make the difference. Getting it is entirely positive if and only if you avoid turning others against you by showing off or being vain and/or unpleasant. To make this positive experience even better, you need to maintain your composure, behave with dignity, and communicate with diplomacy and tact. In short, kindness. Some personalities naturally arouse jealousy, both because of who they are as individuals and because of their professional and social behavior.
It is true that no one should have to apologize for being brilliant, naturally gifted at communication, or young and adaptable. However, it remains true that everyone can avoid gloating and behaving arrogantly, insolently, or haughtily for these same reasons.
2 / Communicate.
It may also be a jealousy related to what you are intrinsically, and against which you can do nothing. In this specific case, you must react if you can:
- by verbally helping jealous colleagues to understand that just because you got something doesn't mean they are no longer able to get it: the success of some does not take away from others.
- by verbally helping jealous colleagues to improve their relationships with others (superiors, colleagues, etc.) and to increase, above all, their self-confidence. Give well-deserved compliments, emphasize their strengths, this will facilitate their progress and get them out of a jealousy that is unproductive for them as well as for you.
- by distancing yourself and waiting for it to pass because, often and fortunately, this negative feeling is only temporary!
The ReKrute.com Team
So what can you do to fight it, avoid it, defuse it, distance yourself from it... In short, how do you manage it?
1/ Be diplomatic and kind.
Even, and especially when working in a team, everyone is striving for that promotion that will make the difference. Getting it is entirely positive if and only if you avoid turning others against you by showing off or being vain and/or unpleasant. To make this positive experience even better, you need to maintain your composure, behave with dignity, and communicate with diplomacy and tact. In short, kindness. Some personalities naturally arouse jealousy, both because of who they are as individuals and because of their professional and social behavior.
It is true that no one should have to apologize for being brilliant, naturally gifted at communication, or young and adaptable. However, it remains true that everyone can avoid gloating and behaving arrogantly, insolently, or haughtily for these same reasons.
2 / Communicate.
It may also be a jealousy related to what you are intrinsically, and against which you can do nothing. In this specific case, you must react if you can:
- by verbally helping jealous colleagues to understand that just because you got something doesn't mean they are no longer able to get it: the success of some does not take away from others.
- by verbally helping jealous colleagues to improve their relationships with others (superiors, colleagues, etc.) and to increase, above all, their self-confidence. Give well-deserved compliments, emphasize their strengths, this will facilitate their progress and get them out of a jealousy that is unproductive for them as well as for you.
- by distancing yourself and waiting for it to pass because, often and fortunately, this negative feeling is only temporary!
The ReKrute.com Team
