So, many things happen in a work environment that can seem to all add up to some big conspiracy or drama - if you let it.
What’s the point of trying to guess what other people’s intentions are? Some people are hard to read because they can smile and seem as though everything is just fine, but what’s really going on behind those smiles can be very different. I had a boss like this once. It was very challenging to understand his communication because he would take a weekly update meeting amongst directors and turn it into a mental battlefield. I witnessed how some of those that he seemed to “target” would react. Some would be defensive, mad or upset, or worse: paranoid (calling me at home about what he “meant” by certain comments). But, one of my peers was really REALLY smart. She had confidence when everyone else was basically carnage. Her confidence came from knowing her stuff (job). We all were hard workers, but she was smart and never let the mean boss see her sweat when he would put the pressure on. It was inspiring.
When it feels as though someone has placed some sort of bullseye on your back, don’t get paranoid. The best thing you can do for your career is to avoid office drama and simply focus on your job. Know your stuff. Prove your position within the company by not giving into the office chatter, but by developing solutions and new processes - things that you know your office needs.
What office needs more drama or gossip? This isn’t high-school.
