Include “response Costs” to Deal With Passive-Aggressive People
Passive aggressiveness can often cause more problems for others due to anger, frustration, or just general manipulation. If you want to curb this behavior, emphasize how much passive aggression costs them.
As the advice site Barking Up the Wrong Tree explains, passive-aggressive people often make it seem like they are the victim. In such situations, you can take revenge on the sincere: “This is not about you!” However, this can only feed their mentality. Instead, emphasize how the situation they create has a natural cost to them:
Outright punishment or retribution won’t work. It just feeds their story of “I: the victim; You are a bully. ” But their bad behavior creates problems for you and for them too. It was terrible that a Boeing 747 crashed into the post office where they had to send this letter for you, and you feel terrible that they had to go through this tragedy. But since this has happened, they need to take one more step.
Completing an incident report or paying the late payment interest you have incurred. Anything you can think of will make their “accidental” blunders not worth the hassle down the road.
Most often, passive aggression is used to avoid problems, not to solve them. And avoiding problems has natural consequences. Maybe they’d rather complain about their significant other than have an awkward conversation. If you can point out that their partner will continue to do what they don’t like, only if they don’t talk about it, they may face some repercussions.
How To Win With Passive Aggressive People: 5 Proven Secrets | Bark on the wrong tree