One major factor that leads to work discontent is another person that just seems to like stirring up trouble. They may try to make work difficult for others. They may try to just “have some fun” in the office, but really they’re just distracting.
Whatever they’re doing and for whatever reason, they’re just causing disturbance. And it’s probably affecting your work and others in the organization. It might not be to the point of them being fired, but it’s enough to cause issues.
Sometimes it can help to understand why someone might be acting this way. It could lead to a possible resolution that you can implement to change the situation for the better.
1. Job Performance Issue & Guilt
Sometimes when we do poorly on a task or project we feel guilty. Others react more positively than others. Some will kind of dig in and figure out how to do better the next time. Others may not be exactly sure how to respond so they kind of act out. They may inadvertently cause some strife in the office with their negative behavior. They may seek some sort of validation for their poor performance. Trying to get others to tell them that they’re good at their job.
This can manifest in different ways. It could be a good sign that maybe the behavior is just temporary and that once the person gets back in a regular routine and performance that things will settle back down.
2. Tallest Building Syndrome
Some people are competitive. They want to be the best in the office or workplace. This can be a great thing especially if the person is a team player. They want to be the best or have the “tallest building” by building the tallest building. They see a challenge when others are doing well and they want to go above and beyond.
But others see tall buildings in the workplace and they take action by trying to tear down the other tall buildings so that they are the new tallest. This is obviously destructive. It’s not good for anyone including the person doing it. They may feel good in the short-term, but by bringing others around them down they are ultimately hurting the way they look on the bigger scale.
3. Perceived Slight
Promotions are great. Usually for those that get the promotion. And often for the people that will be working with the promoted person. If the person doing the promoting makes the right choice, it’s typically good for almost all involved.
But some may feel slighted. They may feel that they deserved the job. And this can obviously lead to some acting out. Maybe the person immediately starts pointing out the mistakes of the person that was promoted. Maybe in meetings. Maybe in one-on-ones. It leads to issues and either the person will have to get used to it or maybe they will need to look for a new job.
4. General Change
All companies and organizations go through change. For someone that has been there for a long time with little change, big change can be a real shock to the system. It could be that the person gets a new boss. It could be that the company is finally using a new software system. It could be any type of change.
We don’t always react well to change. It takes us out of our comfort zone. And some people will kind of lash out or look for negative attention when change occurs.
The good news is that in most instances the person will find their new routine and things will kind of get back to normal for those around them.
5. Something Personal
And there could always be something going on in the person’s life outside the workplace. It’s difficult to know if this is the case, but if someone is struggling and causing issues, it’s good to give them a little benefit of the doubt. We never really know what someone is going through. Loss, struggle, all kinds of things.
Conclusion
It’s not fun when someone is causing issues at work. It can make life difficult for those they’re working with. Knowing what the cause might be can help us to at least understand the situation. It may lead to a possible resolution. It could even lead to everyone coming out better in the end.