Dealing with the Workplace Diva

“I can’t believe how hard I worked and yet how little recognition I received from the District Manager for the projects I completed,” recalled a department coordinator at a large publishing business in the Deep South. He went on to describe the District Manager as a "male diva" whose favorite motto was “teamwork works and my team works!" He was known across the company as a manager who would work "his team" to death for the latest, greatest organizational initiative. He would then glad-hand his way through the CEO’s office boasting about the late nights he had pulled spearheading, developing, and preparing whatever amazing new enterprise he had brought in to display. The department coordinator had overheard the District Manager laughing and bragging that he knew how to motivate his staff, but that without his dedicated leadership, the team would all “still be a decade or two shy of the twenty-first century.”

Not only do divas typically want all the credit, they also want special accommodations, special treatment, and special rewards -- just for their willingness to bless a group with their presence. And if they are not given their due, they will quickly let you know in no uncertain terms. If they fail at a task, they will claim that it was due to the shortcomings of another and that they are being unfairly treated by those who do not recognize them for the stars that they are.

When a diva arrives on the scene, she can often inspire quick action and focused attention from her staff without saying even a word. Her carriage and her attitude are like neon signs flashing the words, “I’m a star!” And the people around her may respond in a variety of manners. Some may bask in the limelight if she favors them with a smile; others may ask, “How high?” if she asks them to jump; others may yawn, scratch their heads, and wonder what all the fuss is about; and some may feel resentment at the audacity shown by the diva in assuming that everyone is ready to do her bidding and be at her beck and call.

Dealing with a Workplace Diva

When the diva is the top dog, it can be especially frustrating for colleagues because they realize that there is no choice but to meet her needs or satisfy her whims to keep from rocking the boat too strongly.

When the diva is your equal, you may want to try a little bit of “giving her a taste of her own medicine” as a way to show her how she appears to others -- "Oh my, I need a coffee! Do run to the breakroom and fetch me a skinny latte -- NOW, please!" However, sometimes the best way to handle a diva coworker is to simply do your job and do it well. Trying to outshine a diva is best accomplished by being an excellent employee. It is better to shine through your own professional performance, rather than her attention-getting brand of high drama or histrionics.

When a diva reports to you, you will need to sit down with her and re-visit job descriptions, organizational expectations, and what is and is not acceptable work place behavior. Unfortunately, by the time a diva is “all grown up,” the behaviors and attitudes can be pretty well set.

Patience at work, patient friends with whom you can debrief, and the ability to keep a clear balance between work and home life are also valuable assets to have in place for helping you handle any work place divas who show up on the job.