You thought you left passive aggressiveness behind when you graduated from high school. But alas, it’s alive and well in the workplace many years later. And unfortunately, as one of Florin’s top staffing agencies, Pacific Staffing knows it can undermine the success of your team and your organization.

So what are some signs of passive aggressiveness? And how can you nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand? Here’s a look:

The Signs:

Some signs of passive aggressiveness include:

• Using sarcasm as a way to criticize another team member and calling it “just a joke.”
• Attempting to undermine other team members’ success, such as through the use of procrastination or monopolizing meeting time.
• Regularly interrupting others when they’re speaking, without any acknowledgement of the interruption.
• Saying “everything is fine,” when clearly irritated or frustrated.
• Never commenting on the important issues, but nit-picking every seemingly minor detail.

How to Deal:

The bottom line is that this kind of behavior – when it occurs on a regular basis – can negatively impact morale and results, while eroding trust and leading to disengaged employees. That’s why it’s so important to deal with it now. Here’s how:

Take a Step Back.

Employees oftentimes emulate leadership. So if you have a tendency to be passive aggressive, then your employees may follow suit. That’s why it’s important to take a step back and take a look at your own behavior in the office.

Educate Your Team Members About It.

Without singling out any one person in particular, educate your whole team about the risks of passive aggressiveness in the workplace. Many times, passive aggressiveness comes about because people have a beef, but they don’t like conflict. So educate your team about how to disagree and raise concerns in a diplomatic manner.

Call Individuals Out.

If certain team members continue with their destructive behavior, then call them out. While you may not want to do so publicly, pull him or her aside and ask to discuss the issue. Calmly and rationally describe the behavior you’re seeing them display and why it’s not appropriate.

Consider Termination.

Some people are passive aggressive by nature, and you can’t change them. But if you let them go on behaving badly, it can damage your team’s morale, sabotage deadlines, waste time, and hurt productivity. As a result, sometimes it makes sense to ask them to leave your workplace.

Need Help Filling an Open Slot on Your Team?

If you do, let Pacific Staffing know. As one of Florin’s top staffing agencies, we can source, screen, and help you hire today’s top talent! Contact us today to learn more.