I have been the target of mean girls both personally and professionally many times. I try to not let it bother me, but of course it hurts. The sooner you realize that you’ve done nothing to deserve mean girl behavior, the easier it is to let their actions roll off your back.
A lot of good can come out of dealing with mean girls. Developing a thicker skin is a useful skill to have throughout your career. Show your detractors that not only can they not stop you, but you will succeed and help others around you.
I wrote this article on how to deal with mean girls a while back, and it continues to be my most read article, so it clearly struck a chord with many of you. I wanted to share it because I hope you will join me in trying to stop mean girl behavior.
Let’s make a vow to not gossip about others and to show kindness to those who exhibit mean girl behavior in order break the chain of these actions. Let’s consciously try to stop being mean girls and channel our efforts toward being more supportive of each other.
I hope you’ll read the article and send it to someone who might need it.