Upon entering the workforce, it takes people about a week to realize that the office and the classroom are more or less the same place.
Your coworkers might be better dressed than your classmates, but many of them are just as childish and competitive.
You show up every day ready to do your best and earn an honest living, but not everyone around you has your best interests at heart.
Just like in school, some of us get ahead thanks to hard work, while others prefer to suck up to the teacher.
Here are 6 coworkers you should look out for; they’re in every office!
1. The Overly Friendly Manager
There’s a fine line between genuine friendliness and love bombing, and when you’re a new face in the office, it’s not always easy to tell.
This coworker stands out among others because they assign you tasks and report on your work to the higher-ups.
Having a manager who creates a safe space and genuinely seems to care about how you’re doing – in and out of the office – is very comforting, especially when you’re new.
The moment you struggle with a project, they’re offering you a shoulder, asking about what’s going on.
So, what’s the problem, you might wonder?
Well, you can bet that everything you naively shared with them will find its way into the nearest performance review.
You quickly learn that their overbearing friendliness gets weaponized. Sadly, most people learn this lesson the hard way, after they’ve already experienced this unique form of betrayal.
2. The One Who Airs Out Your Mistakes
This type of coworker is also one who takes advantage of your desire to make a work friend.
They’re typically the one who gives you the warmest welcome and glue themselves to your side!
Similarly to the love-bombing manager, they make you feel welcome and grateful, so you open up, maybe more than you should.
However, they’re not doing any of this for your sake. They’re watching for your habits, your work method, your breaks, mistakes, and how many times you check your phone.
Sure, they witness your breakthroughs also, but these typically don’t interest them as much.
Any slip-ups you make become public knowledge in a matter of minutes, while they never bother sharing the things you did well.
They might tell you it’s all because they were trying to help and ask advice on your behalf, but who even believes that?
3. The One Who Undermines You in Meetings
There’s a special place in hell for coworkers who compliment and praise you in private, but then pull the rug from under you in meetings.
Somehow, I feel that most of their sentences begin with hun e sweetie, don’t you?
These are the people who notice all the things you do right and let you know. Their words can motivate and encourage you to work even harder, so their betrayal really hurts.
This is easily one of the most frustrating dynamics to deal with at work.
They might say that they’re pointing out the issues for your sake, but we all know the rule: praise in public, criticize in private.
If they really cared to help you, they would gently remind you not to make certain mistakes.
Undermining you in a meeting is a conscious choice, and they’re absolutely doing it to get ahead!
4. The Gossiper
Who doesn’t like to hear some office gossip? It’s one of the most entertaining ways to spend your breaks, and it promotes connection among coworkers.
Still, everything needs to be done in moderação.
If you’re friendly with a coworker who gossips about everyone and knows all of their private affairs, you shouldn’t let your guard down.
When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you’re special because they chose to share all those things with you, but that’s never the case.
When you meet a person who has something bad to say about everyone, remember that you’re everyone.
It’s only a matter of time before you’re their new favorite topic.
5. The Gatekeeper
You know those terrible classmates who give you the wrong answers when you ask for their help? This coworker is a grown-up version of that.
It’s typically senior colleagues who possess all the knowledge but simply aren’t willing to share it with anyone.
When tasked with training a newcomer, they often give them just enough information that they can do a fine job, but never enough to keep up.
What’s worse, you might catch yourself having to do unnecessary busywork and taking a slower approach.
This makes you miss out on all high-visibility projects, so your impact is never truly noted, even though you work hard.
They gatekeep because they don’t want anyone to outshine them. If you want to do better, you can’t rely on them but use your own critical thinking.
Seek out multiple mentors to get a balanced perspective on your actual growth.
6. The Fair-Weather Coworker
This coworker is the office complainer. They’re always beside themselves and struggling, no matter their assignment, and as a work friend, you naturally hear them out.
You spend your breaks listening to them, and it’s not uncommon for them to reach out to you in your private time.
But what when you’re the one who needs support?
Well, nothing.
They typically don’t have a problem definição de limites and protecting their own time when you want to vent.
They pretend they didn’t get your texts and act super busy when you need help with the workload.
They’re the definition of a fair-weather friend, so don’t get too attached to them.
Match their energy and protect your boundaries as fiercely as they protect theirs.
A little Aquarius, devoted to writing and embroidery. Through my writing, I hope to empower readers to align with their true selves and navigate life’s mysteries with confidence.