Slaying The Dragon Lady

      Everyone has a disagreeable person that they work with. This person brings external drama through their work place's doors constantly. They treat their coworkers like a cat treats a scratching post. Often their moods are more unpredictable than the stock market. What do you do?

     I have a coworker, whom I'll call Annette, who is frequently moody. You never know what her attitude will be from one day to the next. Calling her extension or sending her an e-mail can either result in a normal response or one full of her ire.

     Just recently, I gave her two pieces of paperwork. One required her signature and the other needed to be put in the computer system. She did the reverse. She called my extension saying that she needed to be notified when things needed to be input. I told her that I did tell her when I gave her the form. She hung up in my face.

     "Whatever," I said aloud.

    I come to work to do a job, not to please people with lousy dispositions. I've decided that I will be professional, but she is going to get a little attitude thrown back her way. Her home life is a hell of her own making. When you come to work, your home life and problems extending from that need to be checked at the door.

     As Annette left that day she slammed her things down by the sign out sheet by my desk. She marched like an imperial guard towards the ladies restroom. I ignored her and kept reading. For her to be a mother of three she was going out of her way to be childish. I can't control her moods and I refuse to try.

     When different personalities are put together in an office, all you can do is be professional and civil. You don't, however, have to be disrespected or at spoken at by someone who wants to blame their lack of professionalism on you. My work motto has become: "Keep Calm and Ignore the Shrew".