Monday, November 27, 2006

The Passive-Aggressive Team Member

Over the years, Morgan been on several of my teams. A self-described team player, he (or she, for that matter) would quickly deny that any of these actions are negative or aggressive, but you be the judge. These are some of Morgan's favorite practices:

- Not giving a team member a "heads up" about a disagreement and then sandbagging the person with a collection of negative comments at the team meeting.

- Keeping silent during discussions of various options, then later badmouthing the option adopted by the team.

- Losing research material that supports an option he opposes.

- Calling team meetings and somehow "forgetting" to invite potential dissenters from his preferred course of action.

- Researching only one side of an issue and presenting it as a thorough study.

- Placing the option he favors between two strawman alternatives.

- Pretending to consult others on a course of action that is already in motion.

- Stacking subcommittees with his cronies.

- Leaking confidential information to stir up opposition to team proposals.

- Routinely making commitments to others and then ignoring them.

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