[Book Sip] 7 Types of 'Doreunja' in the Office

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When listening to difficulties at work, conflicts with people are often more problematic than the work itself. Various survey results prove that more people quit their jobs because of interpersonal issues than because of the work. However, it is realistically difficult to change jobs every time to avoid conflict, and in fact, there is no place without conflict. If the conflict is too severe to endure, you should leave, but until then, it is necessary to appropriately deal with the so-called 'office dornjas' and protect yourself. The author, a social psychology professor at New York University, categorizes people who drain our time and energy into seven types and introduces ways to confront them.

Dealing with a dornja is, so to speak, similar to profiling a serial killer. In other words, to understand what drives their behavior, you first have to get inside their heads. - p.19

Performance thieves are not a flat type who live by one specialty. A clever performance thief does not just steal others' achievements. Sometimes, they even share their own achievements. - p.67

Having a voice means that when you speak, others stop what they are doing and focus. It means that even long after you have said something important, people remember who said it. - p.71

If asked why you keep your distance, recommend the excuse 'there is a lack of trust between us.' Avoid exploding in anger in front of the other person. If you have mentally decided you don't want to work with this person, be careful not to get dragged into pointless arguments. Talking will only raise your blood pressure. - p.79

Among the various types of dornjas you can meet at work, the bulldozer is the only type whose exterior and interior are the same. Unlike the strong-weak-weak-strong type or performance thieves, bulldozers do not even try to disguise their behavior. - p.101

If you think free riders will cause conflicts with other team members and eventually be expelled from the team, you are mistaken. In the previous study, only 7.8 percent of free riders experienced interpersonal conflicts in any form. Generally, they just got along well with team members. In fact, they were friendly. - p.134

A boss who over-controls above the surface is an insincere boss beneath the surface. The control freak affects the daily well-being of subordinates, but the insincere boss affects the subordinates' careers themselves. - p.162

Insincere bosses have one terrible flaw. The type who over-controls at the last moment appears too late. And the rest do not appear at all. - p.203

Like a serial killer watching a victim from afar, the gaslighting type takes time to get to know their target. Who are they socially connected to, and who do they seek advice from? What are their weaknesses? They test the waters little by little, starting from small things. - p.227

Office Dornjas | Written by Tessa West | Translated by Park Dasom | Munhakdongne | 320 pages | 17,500 KRW

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