Slight issue that needs to be silenced before it blows up...how to do it well - that is the question!
I have worked the past 3 years at a local business with a high turnover. I manage several employees whom I've known for about a year. While we are not the best of friends, we do have a friendly relationship.
When my fiance proposed to me, it was the happiest day of my life. He's my soulmate; i can't imagine my life without him. Little did I know, one of my "work-friends" got engaged on the same day.
I thought this would be a great opportunity for us to connect on a deeper level and I loved the idea of sharing wedding magazines at work, chitter chattering, etc. However...
There is an intense amount of anger and jealousy being directed my way. These girls are nice to my face, but continuously trash talk my fiance, my wedding and my marriage behind my back. They disapprove of everything it seems. I am "getting married for all the wrong reasons.." "I'm spoiled and overly obsessive.." "my marriage is a sham and isn't going to work out..." The stress of dealing with these girls on a daily basis is driving me crazy, makign me miserable; and the fact of being constantly compared to my coworkers relationship is painful in an of itself: "their relatinoship is so much stronger than yours..."
Question: how do I deal with this without igniting a fury? As a manager, I don't want to ignite a conflict that could disrupt business. I also don't want these conversations and secret battering to continue...any suggestions on dealing with this in an eloquent and professional manner? At this point I'm ready to either cry or hit someone.