How to Deal with Employees Who Love to Argue and Debate Everything

You’re not imagining it.

That colleague who derails meetings with passive-aggressive comments. The manager who can’t make a decision—then blames you for the fallout. The employee who turns every conversation into a drama spiral. And the worst part? You can’t escape them.

So you try harder. You document everything. You rehearse conversations. You bite your tongue. You vent to a trusted coworker. Still—it keeps happening.

You're exhausted from walking on eggshells. You're the one who ends up staying late, double-checking, apologizing, smoothing things over. You're trying to be professional, but it's costing you time, energy, and (let’s be real) sleep.

And deep down, you’re asking yourself:

Is it me? Am I doing this wrong? Why can't I just fix this already?