Selective Adversarial Behavior

Not every colleague who uses an adversarial approach will do so on a continual basis. While some colleagues may use adversarial behavior all the time and have no other way of doing things, others employ adversarial methods as and when they feel the need to rather than constantly. Their strategy is to adopt a selectively oppositional approach with certain colleagues only over certain issues. And it can be confusing to say the least for those of you who have, up until the change of tack, enjoyed an effective and cordial working relationship with a colleague to find that your erstwhile pleasant co-worker is now your adversarial-minded foe.