I think it goes without saying that every office, store, warehouse and factory likely has it's fair share of drama. It somewhat goes without saying that there's always going to be disagreements and intercommunication in the workplace. It happens to most, even those motivated to steer clear of it.

          When my Stepdaughter, Ariel, came to live with my husband and myself, I saw the same office problems as before. Certainly my home life changing wasn't going to change anything about the office. What did change was my attitude about it. When all of a sudden another life was put in my hands to care for, the office gossip, the backstabbing and daily irritations seems terribly petty. I will admit that I spent more office time planning, thinking, worrying and calculating how things were going to play out in my personal life. It was then, I suppose with this major shift in my life, that I suddenly realized how minute the office drama really seemed.

      Some office drama seems almost normal. People from all walks of life, backgrounds, social circles are brought together for an extended period of time everyday and as with any other organization, it's not going to run perfectly smoothly. That's like asking a family not to quarrel or disagree. So with all the constant disagreements, intercommunication, how in the world can one skip over it into a blissful life experience? Walk away from it. Easier said that done, I know.

          When Carrie* started her job at a fitness club, she was determined not to get into the drama that seemed to surround her. After awhile, she found herself getting text messages and phone calls on her off hours. She knew somehow she had slipped into the drama pot. With the advice of a friend, she stopped talking. Not the silent treatment, mind you. Professionally she was still very pleasant and cordial, but as soon as anything other than work related conversations started up, she'd quietly excuse herself to find somewhere else to be and something else to do. The key is to remain as pleasant as possible and if backed into a corner, simply state “ that's not really my business” or “ I'd rather not get into that”. Keeping your mind on your job or task at hand is a great way to simply avoid the idle chat that can lead to trouble. By not even being present for the drama or gossip can only lead others to the conclusion that you are not interested. By keeping your mind and your mouth on job related issues,co-workers will be able to tell that you are there only for what your paid to do: work.

* all names changed to protect identity