Very few people suffer from being victimized by a psychopath for predatory psychopaths are very few and highly selective about those whom they take advantage of or terrorize. You may encounter a workplace psychopath and ask, “If my coworker is a psychopath what can I do?” If you are part of a large organization, the greater your chances of being targeted by a psychopath hiding amid the ranks of a group you are involved with.
My Coworker is a Psychopath What Can I Do?
The workplace is a potential feeding ground for predatory psychopathy, especially if there is room for advancement which may be achieved at the cost of sacrificing other employees as a method of getting ahead.
The Workplace Psychopath
They are extremely stealthy and will become your trusted confidant or best friend, all the while setting you up for their fatal strike. They do this without any concern about how this might affect you or your family. You are nothing else but a stepping stone, and they will do or say anything to accomplish their goal of success.
I have consulted with businesses and helped to set up psychopath-free workplaces. Even so, they are so good at blending in, that they can cause a great deal of damage in an organization before they are spotted by coworkers or management.
Having a psychopath-free working environment is not good for all businesses as having a few psychopaths onboard can be extremely profitable assets to certain organizations. In these cases, pitching the idea of a psychopath-free work environment is a tough sell.
Protect Yourself
If you are asking questions, like, “I think my coworker is a psychopath what can I do?” you are off to a good start. Hopefully, you are asking this question early on, the earlier the better, before any (or too much) damage is done.
Protecting yourself from the predatory psychopath is the best course of action. You, yourself. You may be the only person with the awareness that there is a predatory psychopath in your midst. If you are not working for a psychopath-free workplace, do not report your suspicions about any psychopathic influence. This has not fared well for those who have gone before you who found themselves in similar circumstances.
Depending on the proficiency level and where your psychopath may be on the spectrum of psychopathy, anything you say or do about him or she may be spun around and used against you, and you could be alerting the psychopath that you are on to him or her, and you do not want to become the focus of his or her destructive prowess.
Plus, there is the chance that you might be wrong, so play along as if he or she was a normal neurotypical person while observing, collecting data, and protecting yourself. This is where we can take a cue from the psychopath and use the method to protect ourselves.
When a workplace psychopath initially sets his or her sights on a potential victim, he or she remains silently a seamless part of the landscape that surrounds his or her prey, if and when he or she interacts with a potential victim, it is only to promote his or her façade of gentleness, caring, compassionate, friendship, and supportiveness. This is an effective cover that is used to gain even more information and to make him or herself more vulnerable. He or she will appear to be vulnerable, sharing fake intimate details to persuade you to trust the psychopath and return in kind.
Guard Your Privacy
I am not saying that you try to challenge the psychopath in a game of wits, or covert manipulation, only to not let on that you may be onto him or her, as you appear to be friendly when you are observing, documenting, and building your psycho dossier, guarding your personal information all the while.
It may be effective to have some false personal information and stories on hand that you can share in those moments when he or she is bearing his or her soul to exchange. For instance, if the psychopath “trusts” you enough to tell intimate details of his or her past that could leave him or her at risk, like “the time I drove the getaway car for a bank robbery” with enough information that he or she could easily be identified if it were true. This is just a ploy to get you to return in kind with a risky story from your past. So, give him or her one, only make it preposterous enough that it could not be proven. In this way, if he or she ever tries to use this information against you later, he or she will not appear to be reputable.
Otherwise, avoid relating any authentic personal details about you or your life.
Expand and Manage Your Network
Go about the business of reinforcing your support network in the workplace. If you are not very sociable in the workplace, that’s okay, but you must start building relationships with a few people at work who you think you might be able to trust. Let them see what value you have to the organization, and what a nice person you are.
If the psychopath turns against you, he or she will be manipulating your coworkers to join in his or her efforts to destroy you. In this case, the psycho will use anything or anyone to discredit you, make you look bad, or move you out of the way so that he or she can essentially move more quickly up the corporate ladder. It can be highly advantageous to have a few coworkers who essentially have your back, in your court, or at least vouch for you if things get dicey.
Do not tell them that you might think a psychopath is lurking in the wings. Do not try to warn them about the psychopath. The psychopath will be watching you closely and observing your network, looking for ways to manipulate your supporters. As much as you might feel like you can trust your coworkers, realize that they may not be able to outwit the cunning psychopath. A crafty psycho can break them down, gain their confidence, and the next thing you know, they’re saying,
“You know (insert your name) says you’re a psychopath.”
When that happens, the jig’s up, and the psycho-war against you ensues in full force. Don’t let this happen to you.
If you are able, report your progress on the job and your efforts to do a good job to your superiors. So, when the psycho war begins, the psychopath will have a harder time discrediting you or taking credit for your contributions.
Document Everything
Documentation beats conversation. Document everything. Keep a work journal detailing your performance throughout each day. You may need this if your integrity comes into question. This will make it more difficult for the psychopath to blame you for things that you didn’t do.
Also, keep a separate psycho-journal where you keep notes of your observations of the psychopath’s activities. They may come in handy later, and they may help to remind you who (or what) you are dealing with if you find yourself being distracted or caught off guard as he or she casts the psychopathic charm spell on you.
Psychopath Boss
What if the psychopath at work is your boss?
All the same things apply, only, I would advise that you be looking for changing departments or organizations altogether.
Nothing good comes from working for a psychopath. He or she will take credit for all your diligent efforts, and you will not be able to advance your situation within the organization if you are underneath a proficient psychopath.
If you desire advancement opportunities, you will need to get out from under a psychopath that will likely do anything to exploit you and your contributions.
It is just not worth the effort.
Get a job somewhere else, where you are supported and encouraged to grow within the organization if that would feel better for you and better suit your professional journey.