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If you have a nasty co-worker or boss, this is for you!
By Rhoberta Shaler, PhD — Written on Aug 30, 2016
Hijackals (a.k.a. chronically difficult people) at work create daily hell when you have to interact with them.
How do they show up and what can you do with them?
A few weeks ago, my colleague and friend, Robert Imbriale, invited me to talk about my term, Hijackals™, those chronically difficult people at work, on his TV show, "The Marketing Network". I was so glad to have this conversation with him because there are so many people suffering in the workplace, wondering if it's worth it to face the Hijackal every day.
What is a Hijackal?
A Hijackal is a person who hijacks a relationship, for his or her own purposes, while relentlessly scavenging them for power, status, and control. Does that sound like someone you've been trying to avoid?
Probably so, and because of the nature of Hijackals, they simply won't be avoided or ignored!
I'll bet you've noticed that. They will even follow you into the washroom if need be. In fact, they prefer to trap you in private because others don't hear.
Your Hijackal may be the boss who is a real "witch on wheels" when in your cubicle, but who gets up and makes a company-wide speech about cooperation, collaboration, and a peaceful workplace. Right? It makes you crazy!
I'm sharing the video I made with Robert Imbriale here, so that you can really get the full picture about these troubling folks ... and some solid suggestions for how to handle them while keeping your sanity.
It's not easy. Many of my clients tell me that, until we talked, they were constantly second-guessing themselves and questioning their sanity!
If you had a parent who was a bit crazy-making, who didn't validate, praise, or even see you, you'll be an easy target for Hijackals in the workplace. And, unfortunately, with their "Hadar" (Hijackal radar) they have an uncanny way of sniffing you out and making your life particularly miserable.
You need insights and strategies now!
I hope you enjoy this video — well, maybe not so much enjoy as find it valuable. Trust me: It's not you, it's them. But, you are interacting with them and you want to do it from a place of strength, clarity, and assertiveness.
I hope this helps.
Get Dr. Rhoberta Shaler's free e-book, "How To Spot A Hijackal", at Hijackals.com. Or, if you need a place to talk with others going through the same thing, apply to join her closed Facebook group, Surviving Hijackals.
This article was originally published at Dr. Rhoberta Shaler's blog. Reprinted with permission from the author.