It's petty, but I did it...

Loading player...
Stacey and J Sbu asked KZN to complete the sentence "It's petty, but I did it..." and they did not shy away from the drama! We're also curious, are you surrounded by petty people? Or are you perhaps the petty person?

What is pettiness?
Health News defines a petty person as someone who takes small issues or conflicts on in a vindictive or spiteful way. Pettiness can be seen in the way a person finds faults, criticises or holds on to minor or inconsequential affairs.

If you have a strong relationship with someone, this can be hindered by petty behaviour.

Coping with petty behaviour from others in your personal life may prove challenging, but dealing with the same actions in a work setting is far worse! Petty behaviour has an array of negative effects including diminished productivity and an overall negative impact on your well-being.

We’ve searched the web to find some tried and tested methods to cope with pettiness in the workplace to ensure you’re not hindering your productivity. Take a look:

Address the petty behaviour
Convene states that managers who fail to acknowledge or intervene when pettiness occurs tend to lose the respect of their employees while employees lose confidence in their leadership.

It’s important to nip these issues in the bud before they get completely out of hand. If your coworker makes a comment about something that has taken you a while to get to, ensure you respond in a diplomatic manner and explain that you have other work responsibilities that take precedence.

Take it with a pinch of salt
Pettiness stems from a lack of self-awareness, among other things. It’s essential to regulate your own emotions and handle disturbances in an amicable manner. Don’t allow yourself to dwell in the negativity of petty criticisms and comments.

According to Medium, petty people express a lot of emotions over small matters in a way that hides their feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.
Get in touch with management
South Africa has laws in place to assist employees who are working in toxic environments. The South African Legislation on Harassment in the Workplace has been in effect since 18 May 2022 and has a number of ways to describe harassment.

According to Resource Recruitment, the legislation also outlines the proper channels for reporting said incidents to ensure that employees have structures and ways to protect themselves without fearing for their jobs.
25 Apr 2024 English South Africa Society & Culture · Personal Journals

Other recent episodes

Great Drive Debate | Who Should Carry the Burden of Women’s Safety?

Following the deaths of several women in and around Kempton Park, police have urged women to take extra precautions. But today’s Great Drive Debate asked: Who should carry the burden of safety? Should women continue to change their behaviour to stay safe, or should more focus be placed on raising…
15 Sep 9 min

Yoh… I’m Actually an Adult?! 😂 | When Did You Realise?

Nobody sends you an email to say you’re officially an adult. 😂 One day you’re carefree, the next you’re paying bills, comparing grocery prices and getting excited about household appliances. Stacey and J Sbu asked KZN: When did you realise you’re officially an adult? From paying your first bill to…
14 Sep 9 min

How Much Does Money Matter When You’re Deciding to Say “I Do”?

This week’s confession has us asking a big relationship question: How much does money matter when you’re deciding whether to get married? One man says his girlfriend turned down his proposal because she couldn’t see a future without a better lifestyle even though he had secretly won six figures in…
10 Sep 8 min

Who’s Living Like the Cost-of-Living Crisis Doesn’t Exist?

There’s always ONE person in the household who clearly didn’t get the memo about the cost-of-living crisis! While everyone else is budgeting, cutting back and watching every cent, they’re still ordering takeaways, buying things they don’t need, taking ridiculously long showers or casually adding things to the shopping trolley. J…
9 Sep 6 min