An untrustworthy coworker can be incredibly difficult to handle. Today you will learn how to deal with a coworker you don’t trust.
An untrustworthy coworker can damage your trust easily. You should know how to handle them, and stay away from their tactics.
How To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust In 18 Ways
Here are 18 ways to deal with someone you don’t trust at work:
1. Watch What You Say And Do Around Them:
If you don’t trust someone, you might want to start watching what you say and do around them.
If your coworker is an untrustworthy person, don’t let them know that they’ve got you right where they want you.
You don’t have to be a professional spy or anything. If there’s a way for your coworker to misconstrue a conversation you’re having with them, it’s going to be wrong.
2. Document Everything:
If it turns out this coworker’s lack of trustworthiness was paranoia on your part, then no harm done! If not, well, then at least you will have all documents.
Whether your boss wants to fire this person or not, you’ll be able to provide the evidence needed. Documentation is always a good idea when it comes to your career.
It can also help you land a new job if the situation with your current one isn’t resolved.
3. Don’t Make Friends To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust:
Please don’t do anything that could make this person think they’re your friend. It includes eating lunch together or laughing at their terrible jokes.
You don’t want to give them any ideas. That could lead to opportunities and even some pictures of you sharing recipes. Don’t go there.
If you make them friends with you, they will take advantage of your trust. They can sneak in some information about who they are.
4. Don’t Go Into Their Office:
Don’t go in if you have a reason to be in their office. The only time it’s okay is if the door pops open and you need to run inside for safety or security purposes.
Even then—you should get an intern to check it out instead. The problem you can face is that there’s no telling what they’ll do once you’re in there.
You don’t want to stick behind their desk with eyes glued to the back of a headrest waiting for them to turn around.
5. Keep A Neutral Attitude:
One of the best ways to deal with a coworker you don’t trust is by keeping a very casual attitude towards them.
You can even roll your eyes at them from across the room if that makes you feel better about the whole situation.
This person might be trying to trick you into showing some emotional response! It doesn’t matter how uptight you are.
This person shouldn’t be able to make you angry. If they can do that, well, then they win because now they’ve got something on you.
6. They Won’t Ruin Your Life:
Remember, you’re the one walking into their office. You’re the one walking by them in the hallway. They might tell other people that they saw you over there, but then who cares?
The only person that knows what happened is you. Then comes any other witnesses to whatever it was they said about you.
You don’t have to believe it because there’s always another side to the story.
7. Follow The Law To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust:
Don’t do anything illegal you wouldn’t do if your coworker tells you to, well, then don’t!
It almost seems like it would be too easy for them to find out if you’re doing something they told you not to do.
Make sure whatever your boss or HR has asked of you is legal before you even think about doing it.
8. Don’t Leave Notes Behind:
Don’t leave notes behind even if you have to take a message for this person. It is asking too much for them to come back and rewrite their name on the page.
Place it somewhere where anyone can see what they were up to. You don’t want them going through your trash either.
It is because that’s where they’ll stick it if they know what’s good for them.
9. Leave What They Tell You Where They Said It:
If you go out of your way to find out more information on this person, leave it where they said it. Keeping a diary or notetaking might seem more manageable.
Imagine the mess you have to clean up after they figure out who has been leaving these things around like breadcrumbs!
Even with an accomplice, it is risky business, and you never know how far they’re willing to take it.
10. Listen To Your Gut To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust:
We tell people not to trust their instincts because we don’t want them to get hurt. You know some things deep down inside, and this is one of those things.
If something about this person doesn’t seem quite right—they’re not! Trust that feeling above all else.
It’s always going to be there for you, no matter how many people try to convince you otherwise.
11. Report Everything:
Tell someone if they tell you a secret or ask you not to say anything about what happened in their office last week!
Remember, the only thing keeping them from telling all your secrets is. Even go so far as to secure a contract before you start meeting new people outside of work.
It could be a team coming in from a competing firm or even the police. You never know what this person will do if you don’t start taking steps to protect yourself.
12. They Don’t Care About You:
It’s important to remember that they have their agenda. This person might be trying to get access to something, or they could dislike you for some reason!
If you can find out what they’re after before they tell you, then good on you. There isn’t much chance that you’ll be seeing them around too often afterward anyway.
13. Let The People In Charge Handle It To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust:
Believe it or not, people in charge were once where you are now, and sometimes things change.
If you give them a chance, they’re going to take care of this for you. It’s not because they’re trying to get rid of you either!
Remember that the only thing you have to fear is your coworker over there who isn’t doing any work.
14. Refuse To Be Bullied:
Because they have a badge or a security card doesn’t mean that you have to listen to them about anything! You don’t have to believe what they say because they’re in charge.
If the only thing keeping you at your job is this person, then it’s time for you to start looking elsewhere.
Even if it takes some time, there are other jobs out there where you won’t be harassed about every little detail.
15. Don’t Tell Them Anything About Yourself:
People trying to manipulate us always seem to ask questions about our personal lives:
– Where we went to school
– Where our parents live
– How many siblings we have, everything!
They want all this information to try and convince us that we’re somehow in this together.
The more you tell your coworker about yourself, the easier it is for them to get through your defenses.
16. Be Vigilant To Deal With A Coworker You Don’t Trust:
You might notice something off about this person before they ask questions about you. Keep an eye on everything.
Check their facial expressions and the way they talk with others. You might catch onto them before you even realize there’s a problem.
It could be nothing at all, but remember—you can’t be too careful out there!
17. Keep Your Distance:
They don’t want anything to do with you unless they have to—so don’t give them any reason to! If you already find yourself staying away from this person, then good for you.
Keep ignoring them like the plague. Pray that they never start asking other people about what’s going on behind closed doors.
Keeping your distance will be the best thing for both of you in the long run. Don’t ever let them get too close to you.
They could be using any tactic up their sleeve to sneak past your defenses.
18. Believe The Evidence:
The worst thing about not trusting someone is finding out that your instincts were right!
We constantly second-guess ourselves when dealing with people like this. We’re scared of getting into trouble or hurting somebody’s feelings.
If somebody doesn’t want us around, there has to be a reason for it somewhere deep down inside.If you can’t prove anything yet, don’t let the person intimidate you.
You’ll find your proof soon enough, and then you can decide what comes next. Keep digging around for the truth; it’s there all along!
Conclusion:
If you have a coworker you don’t trust, the best thing you can do is stay away from them.
You don’t have any reason to want to help them out, so why would they even bother asking you for too much?
If they’re using their authority to scare you into helping them, ignore them and keep to yourself. You might even notice that they’re trying to get rid of you after a while.
It might be time for you to start looking for a new job the next time that happens!
Last Updated on 1 month by Shahzaib Arshad
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