10 Ways to Deal with the Office Mean Girl

Competition is part of a life these days. There are only so many jobs to go around, and we all want to stand out enough to get the best projects – not to mention that coveted promotion. That pressure can turn some women into catty, selfish bitches who only look out for themselves. Short of scratching her eyes out in a completely inappropriate office throw down, there are reasonable things you can do to deal with the Regina George of your office.

  1. Be honest with her. If you’re comfortable with confrontation, there’s no reason why you can’t corner her in the ladies room and straight up ask her what her problem is. Or maybe a latte peace offering and a concerned “So, how are you really doing?” is in order.
  2. Kill her with kindness. People only continue to play dirty if it actually elicits some sort of reaction. If you ignore the bully, she’ll lose interest. Probably.
  3. Keep your enemies close. You might have to engage in a little reconnaissance if you want to be in on her plans to take over the company. Just be careful you aren’t implicated in anything shady she might be caught up in.
  4. Avoid, avoid, avoid. Kind of like when your mother would tell you, If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” If you can’t get along with her, don’t spend any more time with her than you absolutely have to.
  5. Call in reinforcements. Not only do you need allies when war seems imminent, you need backup to provide you with essential things like alibis, character witnesses, and people who can establish a back story. Not that this could end up in court or anything, but you can never be too careful.
  6. Focus on yourself. If you get too caught up in the dramatic soap opera storyline that is the feud between you and your coworker, your productivity is going to suffer. Make sure that in between drawing up battle plans, you’re actually still doing your job to the best of your ability.
  7. Don’t get sucked in. The drama might seem a lot more exciting than the spreadsheets you need to update, but you can’t let it take over. Your career is the main plot, and your office adversary is only a supporting storyline, so keep it that way.
  8. Let her burn herself out. If she’s constantly focusing on battle tactics, her work is going to suffer. And who will be there to pick up the pieces? You, of course.
  9. Tell a superior. There’s a fine line between being a tattle tale and knowing when you need to report behavior that’s hurting the company. If her behavior has become too much for you to handle on your own, schedule a meeting with your boss, and let her know the problem.
  10. Come up with an elaborate plot to get her fired. What? You don’t have to sit back and let her win. Just don’t get caught.
By day, Courtney is a digital marketing copywriter living in Toronto, Canada. By night, she's a freelance lifestyle writer who, in addition to Bolde.com, contributes regularly to AmongMen.ca, IN Magazine, and SheBlogs Canada. Want to chat about relationships, Stephen King or your favorite true crime podcast/documentary/book? She's on Twitter @courtooo.
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