I must have let my mind wander. I was visualizing tape across your mouth. Sniping is real life, not management speak. For every time you've heard someone praise the value of teamwork, you could attend 12 seminars on Jerks at Work. The American Management Association has been offering a course on how to deal with problem people for almost 20 years.
Work is a microcosm of the world.
Sometimes it's a great opportunity for those who feel 'victimized' by these people to learn something about ourselves. Turning bad stuff into knowledge is a fine idea. But most people's first response is to whine. That's the specialty of The Complainer, one of the most common problem types. John Gaffin, president of HR Associates in Miami, says you shouldn't apologize or argue with this kind.