(ThySistas.com) There is a fundamental thing that exists amongst women – some are mean and some are not. Women are complex beings and we want what we want. While most of us have dealt with mean girls in some form or fashion in high school or college, who really wants to deal with that as an adult in an office setting?
It may sound petty or even unbelievable but too many women take their mean girl ways to getting what they want into the workplace and that is the last space that needs that kind of energy. I have dealt with this issue first hand and when it comes to making sure that you don’t fall victim to their self-pleasing ways, you have to be deliberate.
So if you have found yourself in some kind of mean girl situation at work, here are some suggestions on how to deal with the ordeal so that you come out on top.
Know What You Are Dealing With
This is the very first step. You have to know what you are dealing with in order to act accordingly. You cannot give people the benefit of the doubt after they have shown you who they are. Once you know what you are dealing with, then you will know what you need to do.
Keep Receipts
This is key. Once a woman at your job has shown herself to be a member of the mean girls club and thus causing you to proceed with caution, you need to keep receipts. Usually, a woman of this caliber does things out of jealousy, deceit or the need to get ahead at any cost. That means she will more than likely pull you into her mess and even try to blame you for the things that don’t go right. Every communication with her about your project should be via email, text or some kind of channel that you can go back to if the situation arises.
Make Things Clear
There is no need to mince your words with a mean girl, but make sure that whatever you plan to say is professional, stern, and clear. If you suspect that there is a woman in your office who doesn’t have the best intentions for you, don’t be afraid to let her know that you “see” her and make her aware what your intentions are (to do your job).
Cover Your Tracks
Here, it means making sure your things are together, for sure, but it also means making the work you are doing known to people like your boss and other members of your team. Do this in a subtle way in order to show your contributions to a project in case a mean girl tries to negate, manipulate or erase what you’ve done.
Work Harder
It can suck to feel like the work that you’ve done isn’t enough. Working harder is not about making up for something you are not doing, it’s about not giving the mean girl any room to call you out on anything.
Don’t ever let anyone at work treat you badly. Keep these things in mind if you find yourself in this situation.
Staff Writer; Rasheda Abdullah