Dealing with Workplace Conflict

[Jeffmoz]

Hi I have just recently self diagnosed myself (based upon various tests and my parents recollectiion of childhood incidents), last year I was basicaly forced out of a company by someone that saw me as a threat to their career path, looking back I now know I didn't handle the situation very well and in effect made it easy for them to get me out, how do other people deal with conflict in the workplace?

Regards,

Jeff

 

[Tarragon]

If it makes you feel any better.... "not very well either"!!!!

We seem to be easy for nt people to manipulate and out-manoeuvre with office politics.

Happened to me loads of times....

 

[Soup]

It's so true about the complexities of being out-manoeuvred by NTs in workplace environments. Some will sink to any depths in order to move themselves ahead of the other person & advance their own career. Aside from competitive work environments, there are so-called collaborative ones that seem to foster working together. These can e even worse for us Aspies because the competitiveness gets hidden behind false cooperation.

As someone with considerable work experience, I'd suggest documenting EVERYTHING. If a supervisor or someone says something to you, jot it down as well as the time & date. Retain ALL documents; esp emails. I got the reputation for being paranoid for having done this BUT it has saved my @$$ on more than one occasion where a he said/she said situation got unpleasant. After the 1st time, I invested in a small voice activated tape recorder with itty bitty casettes. Any interaction of significance (like a meeting) was recorded. Once, during an internship, I had this unhappy fat-lady supervisor. She reported to the University that I had been late on several occasions & I got hauled in. Well, I contacted paratransit & had them fax me ALL my transportation records to & from the internship. The drivers keep independent records of when & where they drop passengers off since many have mental deficiencies & memory issues. Also, it helps them regulate their system to know whether or not they're leaving enough time for drivers to get from place to place & unload & pick up passengers.

Anyhow, this record-keeping enabled me to categorically prove that I had been on time AND that I'd never left early. The supervisor became huffy, but she learned that I was one 'weirdo' who was not so vulnerable to her $#!T.

What also helps is keeping idle chit chat to a rock bottom minimum. The less you say to them, the less they can claim you said & the less you have to keep track of what you did say.

 

[Cerulean]

My superiors and I have switched to communicating almost entirely by email. They used to just pop by my office, but if I am in the middle of something and you interrupt me with another task, neither task will be completed like it should be (and like I'm really capable of). So now we email, sometimes ridiculously trivial details, to make sure we're all thinking the same thing. It's dramatically cut down the amount of sniping and grumbling on all sides, because they know exactly what they told me and I have something I can print off and carry around if need be. So I'd agree with Soup, careful records.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Just make sure you know your workplace's policies regarding cameras and recording devices. Not all places allow them. My workplace does not, for security reasons. For a long time you could not even bring a cell phone with recording/photographic capability into the building. Now they've modified it somewhat but you still can not carry these phones into certain sensitive areas but must put them in a locker during work hours. I realize most companies are not as security conscious as mine but some are. Also, I don't think you can legally record conversations without permission from all participants.