Wait, I’m Working with Who?!?

Identify and manage jerks at work to negate their harmful effects.

Most workplaces are home to at least one jerk. It might be your boss, a co-worker or even yourself. Toxic people have the power to reduce team morale, impinge on others’ job performance and influence their colleagues’ feelings about work. Of course, on the negative office behavior continuum, some people are merely annoying, while others may be extremely harmful.

“Having a bad boss or bad co-workers in the office we work in, no matter how much or little you work directly with them, can negatively impact your life, personally and professionally.”

A Gallup study found that working for a bad boss is the top reason people quit a job.?Managers who don’t set clear expectations, who are either unavailable or too involved, or who fail to provide development opportunities create a stressful environment for their subordinates.?When they ignore leadership shortcomings and neglect to make positive change, they lose valuable employees, and the performance of those who remain dwindles.

To neutralize workplace toxicity, first identify the type of behavior that is bringing you down.?Then, respond to work jerks with one or more of eight proven strategies.

Negative workplace behaviors impinge on team productivity, welfare and morale.

Everyone, including yourself, can have a difficult day or indulge in poor work behavior at times. However, some people consistently exhibit one or more characteristics that place them solidly in the jerk zone.

“Just as no two snowflakes are exactly alike, there are many different kinds of jerks that we’ll all have the ‘opportunity’ to work with at one point or another during our careers.”

The following are 16 of the most common jerks you might encounter at work:?

• “Pessimists and Complainers” – To the Pessimist, the glass is always half empty. No matter how positive a situation, this cynic sees only the flaws. Complainers find the worst in everything and everybody, and they make sure everyone knows it. Pessimists’ and Complainers’?relentless negative attitude saps team members’ energy and morale.
• “The Envier and the Credit Thief” – Feelings of insecurity drive Enviers to feel threatened by someone else’s success. They want the recognition, plum assignment or promotion that a co-worker receives, and they blame everything but themselves when they don’t get the same. This behavior?creates tension and fosters guilt among co-workers. Rather than minimizing other team members’?successes, the Credit Thief takes the kudos for the efforts and achievements of others.
• “The Intimidator” – These narcissistic office bullies use aggressive behavior, threats and intimidation to reach their objectives.?Their fear-inducing tactics often prompt co-workers to leave their jobs if managers fail to address the damaging behavior.
• “Gossipers and Chatters” – These people love to talk. While Chatters waste your time and disrupt your productivity with their love of constant conversation, Gossipers enjoy creating drama and spreading tension among co-workers, causing their targets problems and misery.
• “The Lazy One, the Non-Responder and the Absent One” – Lazy Ones are procrastinators who do minimal work. Non-responders are either passive-aggressive about withholding information, or are simply unaware of how their failure to reply affects others.?Absent Ones are?the?last to come into the office in the morning and the first to leave in the evenings. They visit social media websites during work hours. In each case, committed co-workers pick up the slack, which causes resentment, stress and frustration within teams.
• “Micromanagers and Nitpickers” – Micromanagers struggle to delegate even the smallest tasks or let go of any amount of control. Their lack of trust makes employees feel that they’ll never measure up. Nitpickers’ perfectionist tendencies mean they are never satisfied. Their co-workers become frustrated with reworking details and putting in unnecessary extra hours.
• “Competitors and Backstabbers” – Competitors believe work is a zero-sum game. This attitude forces co-workers to compete, even if it’s not their natural inclination. Backstabbers will use any means necessary to get ahead, including divulging secrets, lying or making false accusations. Competitors and Backstabbers create tension and turmoil, turning colleagues against one another.
• “Narcissists and Malicious Ones” – Narcissists crave the admiration and attention of others. They appear self-confident, but their inability to empathize or listen to other people’s opinions makes them poor leaders and collaborators. Malicious Ones intentionally undermine co-workers’ confidence or hurt their feelings. They create a toxic workplace in which people feel unsafe and unhappy.

To maintain objectivity, refrain from emotional, knee-jerk responses. Instead, thoughtfully consider the interaction.

Molly has a venomous tongue.?When a co-worker received congratulations for an outstanding job on a presentation, she told him, “Your work may be decent, but just know you will never be the leader of any company or team.”?People design remarks like this to push buttons and get a reaction. Responding when you’re caught up in heightened emotions clouds your objectivity and escalates the encounter. On the other hand, putting distance between yourself and your emotions enables you to detach and analyze why the person may be acting a certain way. Assess the encounter from an onlooker’s perspective to gain a better understanding of the instigator’s motives and your reaction.

“Even though it isn’t possible to always escape these tense moments, it is always possible to control your emotions during difficult times.”

Molly’s co-worker mulled over the combative interaction and concluded that her words were especially hurtful because she tapped into his?insecurities about his ability to take on a leadership role. Understanding this trigger helped him process his emotions. Finding out that Molly had victimized others clarified that she frequently lashed out when she felt threatened. Molly was an Envier and a Malicious One, and her co-worker learned to brush off her toxic comments.

Refusing to engage removes the offender’s power to manipulate you.

When someone tries to manipulate your emotions with negative intent, disengaging swings the outcome in your favor. For example, if a co-worker refuses to do his or her share of the work and threatens you when you address the issue, you’ve encountered an Intimidator. Consider motive. If an Intimidator isn’t lazy, a refusal to work is a power move. The Intimidator is attempting to bully you into doing his or her will.?

“By refusing to play their game, you’ll cut off the oxygen that feeds the fire of a jerk’s negative behavior.”

Toxic people who play the intimidation game are hard to stop. However, refusing to let their mistreatment affect you deprives them of a win. Find other?co-workers the Intimidator has targeted, and band together for strength in numbers. When enough people come forward and complain, management is forced to address the threat.

Neutralize conflict before it escalates and destroys the harmony of the workplace.

Minor conflicts are inevitable at work. But when disagreements disrupt productivity and dampen team morale, act before the conflict corrupts the work environment. First, observe the situation dispassionately to discern what is causing the conflict. For example, when the relationship between officemates Chelsea and Ryan began to deteriorate, the entire team suffered. Although he didn’t know the cause, their manager?ascertained that their conflict was the source of office tension. Next, he identified the emotions involved. He had seen Chelsea crying weeks earlier and noticed that Ryan had moved his desk away from Chelsea’s.?Team members were?taking?sides, which added confusion.

“Catch conflict before it escalates out of control by addressing the problem at the earliest stage when it is more easily resolved.”

Chelsea and Ryan’s boss then identified?the underlying need at the root of the conflict. He realized that tensions began soon after he announced an upcoming promotion. Ryan wanted the promotion so much that he divulged things to other team members that Chelsea had told him in confidence. The gossip painted Chelsea in a bad light, though Ryan didn’t realize the extent of the damage. When his boss pointed out the toxicity of his behavior, Ryan apologized to Chelsea when they met to share their feelings and resolve the conflict.

If you don’t call out bad behavior, offenders will continue to act with impunity.

Rather than ignoring poor conduct and hoping it will go away, handle situations before they escalate. While this may feel uncomfortable, especially if you are new to a company or a junior team member, it’s necessary to protect yourself and the office place. When possible, align with co-workers who are familiar with the problematic behavior.

“When you ignore bad behavior instead of dealing with it, you’re just giving the jerk permission to continue to do what they’re doing.”

Identify the type of toxic behavior that’s bothering you. For example, when an employee needed documents to complete a tax filing, getting a reply from Jesse, a Non-Responder, proved problematic. When Jesse failed to provide the paperwork with the deadline looming, his co-worker confronted him in a calm, non-aggressive manner. Although Jesse promised to comply, he still wasn’t forthcoming. Eventually, the employee had to inform their manager, a last resort when confronting toxic workplace behavior.

Distinguish between a major infraction and a minor annoyance.

Certain behaviors require an immediate and decisive response, such as sexual harassment or threats of violence. In these cases, report the behavior to your boss or HR, or file a complaint. However, you must overlook the inevitable minor missteps and aggravations that occur due to human fallibility, or you’ll drive yourself and everyone else crazy. View bad behavior as a continuum from slightly annoying to extremely harmful, and avoid treating every type of poor conduct equally.

“If a conflict is more of an annoyance that doesn’t hurt you physically or mentally, and it is something that can easily be avoided, that is a small conflict.”

Distinguish between behaviors that warrant a response and those you should let slide by taking a close, objective look at the occurrence. If someone’s behavior is not having a negative effect on your productivity or emotions, ignoring it may be the appropriate response. Alternatively, offer a gentle rebuke, such as saying that you need to concentrate on your work. When someone is bugging you, try focusing on his or her positive traits to change your attitude.?If minor incidents get under your skin, consider that your sensitivity and irritability might have a negative effect on others. In this case, perhaps your behavior needs to change.

Observe negative examples to learn about proper workplace demeanor.

Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to avoid jerks in your professional life. Observe their behaviors and the negative effect they have on others to learn what not to do in the workplace. Seeing how toxic colleagues harm others helps you make better choices professionally and improve your own workplace behavior. When starting a new job, for example, watch how co-workers navigate the office and influence their team members. You may notice that one person has a reputation as a talker, and another tends to take credit for other people’s work. Consider whether you exhibit similar tendencies. For instance, do you talk to colleagues when you need a distraction? Or do you use “I” during presentations more often than “we”?

If you sense your behavior bothers your co-workers, ask for feedback.

While everyone can be annoying at times, you don’t want to gain a reputation as the office jerk. An effective way to assess whether your actions have?a negative effect on co-workers is to solicit feedback. It may be awkward or uncomfortable, but it will help you become a better employee, a more skillful manager and a nicer human being.

“Just like reaching for an ice cream cone instead of a stalk of broccoli for dessert, it’s simply human nature to cave to some toxic behaviors once in a while.”

The first indication that your behavior is annoying is if your co-workers avoid you.?One manager noticed that his workplace conversations were brief and impersonal, and his team members excluded him from social events. While he assumed this was ordinary professional behavior, he decided to ask a co-worker for feedback. He assured her that he wanted truthful answers and that he would not resent her honesty. She laughed and replied, “Well, you’re kind of stuck up and standoffish.” Other colleagues echoed these sentiments, using words like “arrogant” and “self-obsessed.”

It’s essential to respond to feedback and address toxic behavior. If not, people won’t offer it again or take you seriously. Devise a plan to improve your behavior based on criticism you receive.?The manager set a goal of reducing his use of “I” statements. He checked in weekly with co-workers and continued to assess the?ways they interacted with him. Soon, he noticed a positive shift, and his colleagues began to include him in their social circles.

Recruit wisely and rid the workplace of toxic employees.

As a manager, the formula of hiring slow and firing fast prevents jerks from becoming employees and eliminates those who poison the work environment.?Use the interview process to get to know candidates, and be sure to check their references. While a former employer may avoid making disparaging remarks, it’s possible to note red flags during the background check. Conduct several interviews and bring team members into the process. Additionally, check out the social media pages of potential hires.?Many people sterilize their feeds during the job-hunting process, but you can still?glean much information by reviewing posts and comments.

“When you have got an irreconcilable jerk on your team, don’t hesitate to counsel and coach them – and if necessary, to show them out the door.”

No matter how carefully you screen applicants, a new hire may unexpectedly unleash a toxic trait. In this case, use the “correct, counsel and coach” response, and, if all else fails, fire the employee. First, provide a quick correction and pointed feedback when the bad conduct occurs. If it continues, give the employee strategies to correct the behavior. Terminate employees who refuse to change their behavior.