Repeat after me – never fight with the top CEO. Earlier this week reports came out that actress Naya Rivera was allegedly dismissed from the popular FOX hit series, Glee. Rivera was said to have major jealousy issues with the show's lead female star, Lea Michele. Insiders from the set say that the two had "major altercations." According to gossip site PopWrapped, Rivera has been "written out" of the season 5 finale, and will not return for the next season. Naya is reportedly "jealous that Lea is the show's main star," one Glee series insider told Us magazine. Another source added that the rivals "talk behind each other's backs- a lot."
This afternoon The Huffington Post did report that, "Glee's producers declined to comment on Rivera's future with the show." According to The Hollywood Reporter a representative from River'a team stated, "Any reports or rumors circulating that Naya Rivera was let go or fired from Glee are absolutely untrue. End of story."
Don't cause a scene – You won't like everyone – especially at the office. It's good to be competitive at work but not combative. If you have a problem with someone at the office, try venting your frustrations to friends as opposed to colleagues. They can lend a friendly ear without spreading gossip around the workplace and potentially fanning flames. Never openly fight with a coworker or lose your cool. Before you respond, count to five before blurting out something you might regret. And absolutely never put potentially threatening language in an email. You never know who is monitoring it. IT departments have the radar and control to detect this type of correspondence.
Kill them with kindness – Whether personal or professional the best way to 'win' over someone is not to react to their outbursts. Instead, be your cheerful self and produce your best work with a smile. Just like Lea and Naya – the top brass always has leverage. If you publicly spar with a higher up or vice versa – the top executive has the ability to say, "it's her or me (and my clients)."
Plan a lunch – Working with someone you don't like and whose feelings are mutually chilly is never easy. For your own best interests its best to squash it before the situation accelerates. Ask them out to lunch or coffee – far away from the prying ears and eyes of the office. It's time to address the issue while also building and repairing the relationship. Let them know that you respect them as a business person and value the work they do for the company. Calmly ask them how you can both work better together. Devise a solution to make your relationship work.
If it's really bad – It might be time to go to HR if this top executive is zeroing in and bullying you. Save any emails, documents you can to show as proof of a hostile work environment. The more evidence you have of this person's vicious behavior the better. Let HR know that you've tried to make it work, talked with that person and need them to intervene. Be careful with the language you use to describe that person as it will be recorded for review. Note that if this person is truly a powerful part of your company's bottom line – she most likely won't be the one that gets pushed out. Of course, if the behavior was truly defamatory, hostile and racially charged a la NBA owner Donald Sterling – you have a much stronger argument.
Time to leave – If you work in a hostile environment and it's not getting better...it's time to think about a plan B. Start looking elsewhere. Revisit HR and see if you can transfer to a new department.