Company targets and project deadlines are enough to keep you occupied and put you under pressure at work. One extra baggage you shouldn’t have to deal with is wondering if your colleague’s failure to inform you—and not anyone else—of important work updates is a genuine slip-up or subtle hostility you should be bothered about.
Passive-aggressiveness is as toxic to team culture as it is emotionally distressing for the person at the receiving end of the treatment. The aggressor intentionally makes little “mistakes,” omissions, or antagonistic moves that make you appear like a nag when you point them out.
If this situation sounds familiar to you, the best thing to do is to firmly confront the aggressor. You’ll likely be made to feel as though what you’re confronting is only a figment of your imagination. It’s a form of emotional manipulation called gaslighting, and you must be prepared for it.
The worst thing that could happen is that you would have been wrong about your suspicion. If this happens, your colleague would realize that they’ve been inadvertently sending you negative vibes, and hopefully, they’d adjust. No more awkwardness and no hard feelings, see?
And if it turns out you were right, then it's game over for your aggressor, because they often bank on their innocent appearance as a façade for their hostility.
Just before you confront your passive-aggressive co-workers, though, make sure that you also do not give off the kind of energy that attracts such treatments towards you. If you are unapproachable, for instance, or confrontational, it follows that most people would rather act out their displeasure than talk to you and risk getting in a quarrel and facing office sanctions.
Team spirit and a cordial aura are highly important for individual and team productivity, and this is why passive-aggressiveness must never be allowed to fester in the office. Deal with it before it costs you your job.
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