Have you ever had to live with a coworker who seems to want to control everything and everyone? These “workplace vigilantes” can cause anxiety and discomfort in the workplace.
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Katy DeCelles, professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto, Canada, is an expert on conflict, emotion, morality, and aggression. In 2017, she collaborated in the authorship of the article “Vigilantes at Work: Analyzing the Frequency of Black Knight Employees”.
For DeCelles, vigilantes tend to consider themselves more moral than the average person. While many share this perception, this trait is even more prominent and rigid in workplace vigilantes.
Even if they aren't your superiors, they act like they are. These people have a genuine desire to have some kind of control or authority over others, which can make for an uncomfortable work environment for many.
However, the expert points out that there are strategies to deal with personalities like "Dwight from The Office" and minimize the stress and discomfort they can cause.
Cover your bases to protect yourself from “workplace vigilantes”
It is important to be clear with the person in authority over you regarding any situation that could be misinterpreted or used against you.
For example, if you regularly can't attend certain meetings, clarify with your manager why and make sure that's okay.
That way, if the vigilante colleague mentions the matter, his superior will already be informed and will be able to intervene.
Speak directly with the inconvenient colleague
Sometimes the workplace vigilante may not realize how much he is constantly commenting on his work. In these cases, it's okay to give a brief, informal explanation.
For example, if you perform a task in a way they feel is wrong, you can simply say thank you for the help but let them know that your manager approved of how you did it. Thus, you reinforce your autonomy and authority over your own responsibilities.
Talk to other colleagues about this topic
If the vigilante peer behavior persists, it is likely that other peers have noticed it as well. Talk to them to see if they share the same experiences.
Knowing that you are not alone in this situation can help strengthen your case when approaching human resources. Presenting a pattern of behavior rather than a simple interpersonal dispute will make your case more robust.
The “Dwight” of the Workplace
Remember that, over time, people tend to realize that the personality The vigilante's authority is more related to himself than to others. Affection and sympathy are hardly won by this type of behavior.
So don't let it affect your confidence and stay focused on your work. Eventually people will realize who the real “Dwight” is and his claims will be disregarded.
