Nov 18 2008
The Den of the Downtrodden
Every workplace has one of those guys, or ladies, who just won’t take responsibility for anything. They have said “Not me” or “It’s not my job”, so many times, the words seem to spill automatically from their lips at every meeting.
Those are the ones who have a permanent frown etched into their faces from years of denial, negativity and shirking duties that are not pointed out as mandatory in their job descriptions. When dealing with this kind of person, it is hard to stay on task and upbeat. They tend to bring everyone down to a lower level of job satisfaction just by entering the room.
What do you do to keep yourself going? As hard as it is sometimes, circumvent their antics and keep positive. Don’t placate them by agreeing with them that the company sucks or there is too much work or whatever the momentary beef might be. You will only encourage them, either by tacit agreement or by making no comment at all.
When they say the boss is an jerk, say he’s a nice guy. When they say they can make more money at Albatross Brothers, tell them to go and get a job there. Don’t let them get away with dragging you into the den of the down trodden with them. Because once you go there, it is hard to get out. And - in the words of moaning Morty - that would really suck.
