One Bad Partner Can Ruin a Practice
One Bad Partner Can Ruin a Practice
I’ll avoid naming Dr. X and the facility in which we worked. Names must be changed to protect the innocent, and all that…Suffice it to say that this was some years ago.
Dr. X had a penchant for stirring up trouble. While entirely capable of being confrontational, of looking someone in the eye and saying borderline-obnoxious things in the name of being (brutally) honest and bluntly (like a 2x4) to-the-point, X was also very good at operating indirectly and behind the scenes.
A team of 10, with Dr. X on board, could quickly and easily become two rival groups of 5, separated by any number of issues—who’s being more productive, how productivity should be calculated in the first place, who sits on the important committees, who gets which office, who’s taking long lunches, who worked fewer holidays last year, etc.
Near as we could tell, Dr. X had no grand scheme, no master plan which was being furthered by turning harmony into discord. X didn’t even seem to be using these machinations to retaliate for old grudges. Perhaps X wasn’t consciously working at creating strife, and was just passive-aggressive. Whatever the reason, Dr. X was a troll (on the web this refers to someone who disrupts the community).
Working with a troll is unlikely to be a relaxing affair. Certainly, there may be good days (or weeks, if you’re lucky), where nothing is brewing. There may even be times when the troll considers you a necessary ally for whatever feud is at hand. It may be downright pleasant to you under such circumstances…but you lower your guard at your peril, since trolls have few lasting loyalties. Eventually, others on the team may get sick of this and look for saner places to work. With fewer docs left on board, the factions that once comprised your team can get smaller and smaller; eventually, it could wind up being just you and the troll, assuming you don’t bail out beforehand.
Online, there is an oft-repeated piece of advice for dealing with such individuals: “Don’t feed the trolls.” That is, when you participate in their intrigues, you give them what they’re seeking, and their maladaptive behaviors are reinforced.
A community (such as a team of radiologists), if it has a strong infrastructure of communication and goodwill, can remain unified in the face of such antagonism from within. It’s not easy—trolls are good at identifying hot-button issues and using them to rile us up. If the group recognizes the troll for what it is, however, the beast can be starved, rather than fed by playing its games. Then, the troll can either roam elsewhere to find new victims (of its own volition, or because the group ejects the troublemaker), or it might just learn to play nicely for a change.
Disclosures
I guess I am a troll
I bring up a lot on inequities in our group
I mention it when someone doesn't do their job - doesn't show up on time for their assigned duties - or when the Exec committee makes a decision AND does not tell anyone.
I guess when you give a sh_t, unlike some of my partners - someone has to speak up
The archetype troll will often be in a leadership position, extremely charming when needed, have a good memory, show passive-aggressive and frankly aggressive behavior. They are likely to be pathological liars and disappear frequently during the work day. They have never met a meeting (during the workday) they didn't like, and feel they are more valuable and more productive than others. They have the best office festooned with framed certificates and motivational posters and are overly obsessed with titles. Importantly, trolls have some unlikely ardent supporters to whom they are uncharacteristically kind and generous.
The troll will take on real issues but instead of providing remedy, uses them as a club to inflict pain and suffering maintain control and impart fear.
Trolls are generally not self aware and often feel under appreciated and accordingly, resentful. They will take credit for everything good and blame others for everything bad.
The troll creates and fosters a malignant work environment, causing others to dream of early retirement and to dread Monday mornings.
Speaking to friends around the country, it is shocking to hear how many groups have a troll and how similar they are. Tolerating bad behavior is generally not a willful decision but instead something borne out of fear of retaliation, fear of (more) disruptive outbursts and fear of making things worse.
What is a group do? This is a hard one. The troll's method of control is to divide and fragment the group. After all, if everyone is unhappy, fearful, a bit paranoid and weary, there is little chance for a successful revolution.
A group can't hire enough "good people" to dilute out the ill effects of a troll. Likewise, adding a new troll to the group may solve one problem but has predictable consequences. Short of a lightening strike, banding together with a united front may have some effect as long as it is clear who the enemy is. Be forewarned that at this point, the troll can be the most dangerous. Being bright, crafty and highly skilled in manipulation, results can be surprising and disastrous for the surviving contras. This is, after all what trolls do best.
For those who decide to change jobs, be sure that you are not just exchanging one troll for another. There are a lot of them out there.
It depends om how, when and why you deliver your (!) truths.
Is it the best way to reach the mutual goals of the group?
Do you feel, and communicate, that 'you are ok as a person'?
The article is about Compulsive Truth Speakers.
I want to hear your opinion because I think you are OK.
And I consider questions to be the best way to get answers, and get wiser as à spin-off.