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As the old adage goes "one bad apple can spoil the bushel." In an office environment this means that one difficult person can make it almost impossible for a team or department to function well. Research into group dynamics has shown that one hostile, lazy or unethical individual on a project dramatically decreases the chances of project success. This is especially true when the difficult person is in a leadership role.

Picture the scenario: you start a new job, or take on a new responsibility and at first everything is fine. Then for whatever reason, things start to change. Work you had been praised for is no longer acceptable. Deadlines keep getting shorter. New responsibilities keep getting piled on with the old before you have a chance to catch up. Your performance review doesn't look good and you are already too overwhelmed to fight back. Regardless of whether you are learning something new, or you are a seasoned employee in a new setting, you will make mistakes. We all do. However, an unscrupulous boss may use even small slip ups as ammunition against an employee he or she does not like instead of coaching to improve performance. (A good boss, on the other hand, will offer constructive criticism and help you brainstorm to problem solve.) If you find yourself faced with a leader who is clearly using you as a scapegoat and building a case against you it is important to protect yourself.

Possibly the most important thing you can do to keep the situation from getting too ugly is to document everything. Make sure you understand the parameters of your job. If you are being forced to take on work outside those parameters and it is interfering with the core work you are accountable for document it. Try and keep a clear time line of every problematic interaction you have with your boss. Make a note of everything you are asked to do, your response to the request, if and when you were able to complete the request and your boss's response to your work. Write down any out of line comments from your boss. Keep track of how you are spending your time. If it comes down to a he said she said moment often the person with better records will see the more favorable outcome, so it is important to have detailed notes to support your side of the story if your job is on the line or (worst case scenario) you have to file for unemployment. Keeping comprehensive records may also help you identify specific areas that are more contentious. If you are interested in avoiding conflict

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