You may never work with an Elizabeth Holmes—but here's how to handle a co-worker who makes false claims
You may never a co-worker as enigmatic as Elizabeth Holmes. But you might have one who doesn't deliver or misrepresents situations. Try these strategies.
TL;DR
- Elizabeth Holmes, convicted of fraud, claims innocence in a new documentary, prompting a discussion on dealing with colleagues who make false statements.
- The article offers five strategies for managing such coworkers: separate the person from the behavior, build in a margin of error, create checkpoints, get external support, and escalate and extricate yourself.
- These strategies aim to help individuals protect themselves from the fallout of a colleague's unreliability and ensure their own work progresses.
- Key tactics include documenting discrepancies, involving managers in commitments, and focusing on limiting dependence on the problematic colleague.
- The goal is to navigate difficult workplace relationships and avoid being negatively impacted by a coworker's pattern of false claims or broken promises.