4. The Passive/Aggressive
Common characteristics
• No display of outright anger.
• Seemingly friendly and on your side, but may say negative things behind your back.
• Main strategy is to make life difficult for others without directly attacking them in a verbal or physical way.
Cause of behavior
They dislike confrontation and/or disputes.
Ways to improve productivity
Passive/aggressives need to make the connection between their behavior and the consequences of their actions within the workplace. They need to acknowledge that the behavior isn’t working for them, says Dominguez.
“Whether the individual practices blatant or obvious tendencies, the behavior needs to be addressed,” Dominguez advises. “A plan or strategy can then be put into place that will help them move forward.”
Supervisors should offer passive/aggressives concrete ways to accomplish tasks at hand. For instance, they can suggest technical or behavioral skills that will help the employee deliver the results they need.
“Try to adapt the work, so they will have more of a say in what is going to happen,” Young says. “You must also work with this person on cooperating with his or her co-workers.”
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