Dramatic People at Work
 

So, do any of you work with people who are just a tad too dramatic? I do.

I sit in an office with two other people and both of them are frantic most of the day "putting out fires," and telling everybody about it.

I'm amazed at how much adversity these two seem to think they overcome on a daily basis...and that's just getting to work.

Why? Why? Why? do you think people get stressed out and overly dramatic about every little thing at work?

Granted, our supervisor is overbearing, but you don't see me getting worked up. In fact, I just got a promotion within the company.

Deadline coming up? No problem for me...I'm on the Guard. Slow and steady wins the race...and distracted frequently by the Guard.

This is a major problem with corporate America. I work with many of these types. I see it as a defense mechanism for people to signify to others not to dump more (any) work on their lap or to establish a level of importance for them and their jobs.

Can we flip this question on its head a bit? I'm very laid back (although I do have another gear I shift into around closings) but I continually have to clean up the craziness around people I work with. I just finished up a deal in which I was specifically brought on board to be the (in legal parlance) "closing bitch" for two people (one of whom is senior to me) who were horribly disorganized and clueless on the deal. I'd rather have drama queens over little things than clueless idiots on major things.

These drama queens aren't only in the workplace; they are at school, at church activities, they are everywhere. I've noticed that their most amazing stories always seem to occur when there is nobody around to witness what really happened.

If I am ever a manager, and such stories come out...it will result in the loss of Schrute Bucks...seen in my avatar.

I take the Schrute Buck system very seriously.

LOL. Then I will be the Stanley to your Schrute buck.

"I don't want one..."

At least I can easily get rid of the "clueless on major things" type of people. You have specific examples of screw-ups that you can use to make a RIF ("reduction in force" for those of you that don't know today's current business euphemisms and acronyms). The drama queens are harder to get rid of. You know that they are less productive employees but there isn't really a major issue you can latch on to. They're just killing your business slowly - death by a thousand cuts.

Or their stories are about their damned cat or dog. It's either major drama or major boredom.