How Women in Business Can Spot and Defeat the Office Troublemaker

Fort Wayne, IN, February 09, 2011 --(PR.com)-- According to Karen Keller International, “The office troublemaker is like a stapler, every business environment has them. I affectionately call her the ‘work jerk.’ The troublemaker has a unique calling. They are intent on causing drama, problems (which they see themselves are the solution to), and disruption to the team’s dynamic.”

She adds, “Troublemakers interfere with and are a drain on a company’s resources. They deplete their own and others’ efficiency and impact. Think of it this way, if a troublemaker’s actions causes a ten member team to work only at 95% efficiency, then you will losing the equivalent of half a person’s productivity per week.”

Here is Dr. Keller's list of the 5 types of office troublemaker:

1. The Plotter. This is the person who tries to enlist others in their unethical plans to disturb the office. Even though they feel better when they have accomplices the real reason is so when they get ‘caught’ they have someone else to blame.

2. The Tease. This is the person who seeks out the person with power or authority and proceeds to flirt with them. All with the intention of gaining favor.

3. The Gossip. This person tried to gain information that they otherwise wouldn’t be privy to, by offering information up first. Usually the information is on the sensitive side, thereby enticing you to listen because humans love a juicy story. To this person, everyone is fair game.

4. The Escape Artist. This is the person who is nowhere to be found when something goes wrong. And when you do find her she is all too ready to pass the blame onto someone else – usually the nearest person.

5. The Know-It-All. This person is probably the most difficult to tolerate. They think they know how to not only do their job but everyone else’s. They see themselves as knowing what’s best for the company, even more than the CEO. The Know-It-All usually fails to follow through on promises or directives. Because they are more talk than walk.

Keller concluded, “It’s important to recognize when you are in the presence of the office troublemaker and how to handle yourself accordingly in order to come out on top. Remember to maintain professional work behavior in the office-place and take the high road. Never stoop to the trouble-maker’s level.”

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