Do you work with anyone who likes to create drama? You know, the ones who like to yank people’s chain or add fuel to the fire. Even the personal lives of these often charismatic individuals seem heavily peppered with conflict of some variety – and they just can’t wait to tell you about it! Who knows why the Drama Queens or Crisis Kings of the office like to make a big deal out of something unnecessarily, it may be a play for power, popularity or…maybe they just enjoy the attention. Whatever the reason it’s important that you don’t get caught up in their song and dance.

Most of us would like to believe that all that social drama and angst ends after high school, unfortunately that’s not the case. Some people no matter how old they are, still want to find ways to stir the pot, which is a shame because all that drama adds up to a very stressful environment and can make your workplace into a miserable place to be.

Here’s a great quote by Anita Grimm-Hohl that I think is a pretty terrific tool for putting a stopper into the theatrics before they begin: ‘Drama usually comes from my reaction to other people’s actions. I stop to think: Does this really matter in the long run, or am I just trying to be right? ‘

While it may be impossible to completely avoid office wars, here are some ways you can keep your life drama-free:

Stop making assumptions – If someone is doing something that bothers you, don’t pretend you know why they are doing it. Realize you truly have no idea what they are thinking or why they are doing what they are doing. Instead of getting yourself and everyone else all whipped up about it, just calmly deal with the situation and move on.

Don’t get sucked into the office grapevine – The more people that are involved in the communication chain, the more potential there is for misunderstandings and avoidable problems. If you do hear something via the rumor mill it may be worth looking into, but if you work yourself into a lather based on 3rd, 4th or 5th party communication you’re just feeding the drama monster.

Act like a grown-up – Often drama is the side effect of people’s failure to behave and communicate like rational, reasonable adults. Let go of the need to get in the last word, one-up everyone’s stories or pay somebody back for perceived wrongs. If you have a problem with someone or think they may have a problem with you, just cut through the nonsense, put on your big girl (or boy) pants and talk to them. Involving anyone else before you’ve tried to make peace only shows that you are not really looking to solve the issue.