Ten Tactics For Dealing With Jealous Coworkers
By: Holly Zink
Tags: Coworking, Workplace, Office, Coworkers, Jealousy

The working world can be tough. You have to stand out if you want to get ahead. Sometimes, that means catching some jealousy from the people you work with. There are ways to get ahead without everyone plastering gum on your “Employee of the Month” picture. You want to impress the bosses without losing respect. What are you supposed to do when the rest of the team is green with envy? Here are ten tactics for how to deal with jealous coworkers.

1. Check Yourself

Ask yourself, did I provoke this? Self-reflection on the situation won’t hurt. It’s possible you could be coming off less-than-humble to the people you work with. Did you brag too much after that promotion? That could be the culprit. What signs are your coworkers putting out?

2. Silence Is Golden

If you feel the need to brag, do it outside of the workplace. You don’t want to come off as arrogant to those around you in the office. Nobody can misquote silence.

3. Keep Up The Good Work

Don’t slack off, even if others are jealous of you. You still have responsibilities and other depend on you to get things done. The jealousy could be over what a great job you’ve been doing. If that’s the case, then keep it up!

4. Don’t Take It Personally

Most of the time, jealousy stems from that person’s own insecurities rather than something you did. Next time you have to deal with it, try to remember that the person may be dealing with their own feelings of inadequacy. Your success is a threat to their self-worth.

5. Be A Leader

If you’re recognized for doing something well, why not share the wealth and offer to teach the people around you? You’ll come off like a team player and strengthen the group as a whole.

6 Give A Shoutout

Have a group email to send out? Throw out a “Thank You” to the jealous person. Jealousy doesn’t necessarily make them a bad worker. Recognizing their hard work will signal that you’re not out to get them and that you appreciate the effort they put in.

7. Focus On Supportive People

You can’t please everyone. You’re better off giving your energy to people who appreciate what you have to offer. Surround yourself with people that encourage you and whose opinion you value.

8. Don’t Apologize

Empathy is a good thing. But why shouldn’t you be proud of yourself? You earned your way to be where you are and have worked hard to get there. Don’t slow down now just because someone got a little envious.

9. Shift Perspective

If they’re being petty, avoid getting sucked into their game. Remember that jealousy can speak of immaturity. Maybe that person has a lot more to learn about life and dealing with people before they’ll advance.

10. Just Ignore It

What’s the big deal? Jealousy is a byproduct of success. Don’t let the opinions of others hold you back. The jealousy might just go away if you don’t feed into it.

It takes a lot to make it these days in the workplace. The higher you climb, the more critics you’ll inevitably have. A jealous coworker shouldn’t hold you back from the success you have been waiting for. Use these tactics for dealing with jealous coworkers and you’ll never worry about an office feud again.