Divas at work: Dealing with drama kings and queens in organizations

Have you ever worked alongside someone who was far more interested in creating controversy than in getting work done? Most people have. These ‘workplace divas’ are individuals who demand a metaphorical spotlight at work and act manipulatively in order to gain attention. Although diva behavior in the entertainment industry can create profits for movie and recording studios, workplace divas undermine morale and productivity in most organizations. Drawing on our own observations and an unscientific poll of working professionals, we describe seven characteristics associated with workplace divas: attention seeking, temperamental, blame avoidance, lack of perspective, overly demanding, self-importance, and self-promoting. We discuss why common responses to divas—avoidance and appeasement—are usually ineffective. Finally, we suggest that organizations can better manage divas by redirecting the spotlight (creating opportunities for a diva to earn attention through good behavior), reviewing the script with the diva (repeatedly conveying expectations about acceptable behavior), making the diva a solo act (eliminating the diva's opportunity to interact with co-workers), or closing the curtain (firing the diva).