Do you have a passive aggressive co-worker? 2 tips from Joan Rivers’s life:
Johnny Carson was angry at her and handled it in a classic passive aggressive way: He stopped talking to her. He didn’t return her calls.
Tip #1: Joan Rivers said, “It doesn’t get better. YOU get better.”
Tip #2: She told a young comedian, “You spend too much time on who doesn’t want you.”
If you aren’t sure what passive aggression is, yesterday (at the beach) I asked three people – a shrink, an architect and a stay-at-home mom.
The shrink explained:
Passive aggression is actually hostility. But they are afraid of conflict so instead of getting angry, passive aggressive people refuse to talk. Also, they avoid their obligations, leaving you in the lurch.
The architect said:
The biggest mistake you can make when dealing with passive aggression is to be lenient. Don’t tolerate being mistreated. They won’t get the project in on time, but they will blame you or the circumstances …never themselves.
The mom’s advice:
It makes you crazy. When they refuse to talk, you start thinking it is you. Sadly, passive aggressive people rarely get what they want. They can’t get what they want without communication. They don’t ask for what they want. They just stop talking and ruin the relationship.
Joan Rivers had to deal with it in a very public, humiliating way. If you have a passive aggressive co-worker, I hope these tips from her life can help you.
RIP Joan Rivers. – Shar McBee, author of To Lead is to Serve