I do my best to treat people fairly and show support where I can. I hear stories and have witnessed situations where a person displays hot and cold behavior too much. When this happens any sense of fairness and support usually goes out the window. We all have different personalities and life situations that can affect our attitudes. But there are lines never to be crossed. There is no room for jealously, envy, control, or any other behavior that can be hurtful to another. In no setting is this good, especially not in the workplace.
Recently, there was a situation at work where one staff member made a comment in a tone the boss didn’t like. The subject was nothing that could be related to work place harrassment or anything similar. A short human-like conversation could have happened in a quiet space to discuss the negative tone. Both parties could have come to an understanding and then moved on. But, no, this did not happen. The boss decided to write an official letter on company letterhead to have an official disciplinary meeting. This was a hot and cold moment. The boss used to be very warm, but in more recent times have been showing more negative power moves.
Here’s another hot and cold workplace situation. Person A has been making small comments about Person B to the two people working closest to them. Now, it has led to one of those closest telling Person B they heard they were talking about them. This is a classic case of the telephone game mixed with someone starting trouble. A person who really wants to repair relationships will try to get all of those involved together for a discussion, but this is not the case here.
Unfortunately but fortunately we must all work and this includes working with others. So many jobs are experiencing work shortages for many different reasons. One of them include people not wanting to deal will the bull. Negative work environments can make someone miserable. By not inserting yourself into certain work, you get to keep some peace. Dealing with hot and cold behaviors can be exhausting. The top of the work pyramid needs to practice more warm behaviors to spread more positive energy downward. We learn the tools for handling good and bad situations as we grow up. This often comes from those older than us. In the end, more can get done in the workplace if people actually like each other. Even when their is someone with more power than others, being humble can change the energy. I write this as I’m about to get a break from work, with the hope to return to good energy.