Deal With Difficult People at Work
Do your coworkers drive you crazy sometimes?
What Coworker Behavior Drives You Crazy?
Most people have pet peeves about their coworkers. And, why not? Even relatively sane and likeable people do things that can drive their coworkers to distraction.
People miss work; they miss deadlines. Some people are perpetually late for meetings. They dress unprofessionally: in one client company, a customer service representative wears crumpled cotton capris and beachwear to work everyday and wonders why no new opportunity appears on her horizon.
In another, a manager talks down to employees and acts as if he is the only one contributing to accomplishing work. In still another, an employee, who regularly interacts with the public at trade shows, decided to grow long hair and a beard and wear jeans to trade shows.
An otherwise valued employee at another company spoils her boss's day three times a week by repeatedly asking for a raise when the company is not giving raises.
In some organizations, bad boss behavior is legendary. (Be sure to read the comments.) Sometimes a new boss is assigned a dysfunctional team. Every workplace has different stories about employee behavior that can drive others crazy.
These resources about work relationships can help.
Check them out.
Is the behavior that most drives you crazy on the list? If not, add yours in "comments" below. Please take the time to vote in the poll.
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More About Dealing With Difficult People at Work
- Deal With Difficult People at Work.
- Bad to the Bone: Dealing With a Bad Boss.
- Tips for Working With People at Work.
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Comments
I forgot to mention the coworker behavior that makes me the craziest: people who blame someone else for everything that goes wrong. What’s yours?
The person in the cube next to me drives me crazy some days! It’s easy to hear when you’re on a call, and there are some days he just has to comment on every thing he hears! Trying to be funny or not, it’s very annoying. And I have to also mention when I’m on the phone with someone, my co-workers hear what the conversation is about, and have to add their $.02. I’m all for multitasking and teamwork, but that’s just rude on their part for interrupting. If I have someone on the phone, I prefer to give them my undivided attention!
My boss is having an affair with another woman in our small office and she hates that my boss likes my work. They’ve been having this affair for many years longer than I’ve been there. (He is since divorced, she is still married.) He lets her undermine me in meetings by “harumphing” or “tsk-tsking” me if I say anything. She walks to the opposite side of the room so as to not pass my desk directly when she needs to get somewhere and also glares at me every chance she gets. She denies it when I tell her how I feel and tells the boss, her boyfriend, that I am a problem employee. She makes up things about me interfering with her work, he confronts me about it, I tell him what happened and he agrees I did the right thing. Then it happens all over again. She is very friendly on email, which we use a lot between workers, trying to pretend she loves working with me, and covering herself. It’s the worse place I have ever worked.
My new coworker “Meagan” is a lovely, friendly woman but boisterous and rather clueless–talking loudly and incessantly! She is enjoyable in a social situation, but it’s too much in the office. Even turning my back on her and continuing with my work was not enough to indicate that the conversation was over. I was reluctant to cut off her discourses because we were getting to know one another and we need to work very closely together. The one time I did so resulted in the cold shoulder for a week–which made it quite uncomfortable and difficult to work together. Finally, someone else in the office made a complaint to our supervisor, who in turn discussed the issue with both Meagan and myself. I wish I had gone to my supervisor sooner and discussed the issue rather than having another staff member complain to her. It was embarrassing, but a relief at the same time. “Meagan” is better about keeping conversations shorter now, but will frequently go on and on if allowed. I no longer feel any compunction to continue lengthy conversations with her. I love the peace and quiet that results when she’s out of the office for the day–I get so much more done!
The person who works with me at Wal-Mart wants every other weekend off, checks our schedules and tells us about them before we do. And tells us she doesn’t really have to work and has 5 saved paychecks she hasn’t cashed yet.
One that irritates me is the person who breaks a simple work rule, to the detriment of co-workers. We all know this simple rule, but he ignores it out of sheer laziness.
Wow Ronnieone! I had the same problem at my job, my manager was sleeping with the boss and in the process of getting a divorce. The boss also liked my work and we got along well, but she went out of her way to undermine me. I was also planning my wedding at the time and she fixed it so I got all this work just as I was going on vacation, then she put the blame on me (even though I put in for my vacation months in advance.) You couldn’t even complain about her becasue she was sleeping with the boss! Arrgghh…
Although none of us in my shop are subordinate to this person in our main office, she seizes any opportunity to call us and tell us off when she feels something we do is wrong. And not in a nice way either! She scolds, lectures, repeating the “offense” time after time, and threatens to take the issue up with management just to cause trouble and controversy.
My pet peeve is when someone takes credit behind your back for work or a project that you have done. I don’t mind when there is teamwork involved, or when it’s a group project… but one should always give credit where credit is due. And these type of people don’t ever do this in front of you — so you know that THEY know that it is wrong too!
My coworker makes mountains out of molehills. She asks questions that we have already discussed – wants to know what the process is (when it’s one we’ve all been using for quite some time) – must have everything done the exact same way every time – unless she doesn’t want to do it that way and then wants to discuss it AGAIN! She also “forgets” that we’ve discussed something. Then after I’m really at my wits end – she says “I really want to be a good team player – what am I doing wrong?”
I work with a person that thinks she is perfect, if I make a mistake she is the first to point it out. They are all “mistakes” because I didn’t do it her way. She is rude to me but goes out of her way to be kind to everyone else, she was the only person doing this job for a year, then I came along. She won’t even look me in the eye anymore, she avoids me yet sends me emails asking if this or that is done or where I am on my projects. She is not my boss, she is a peer. I’ve talked to my boss but he is too meek to say anything. I’ve had it with her and am too old to put up with it, so I have an interview next week! Better to move on that work in a situation that is not beneficial to me or the company.
I work with a woman who just cannot stand it that I will not become ‘buddies’ with her. She’s one of those people that knows the answer no matter what the question is. You can’t even carry on a conversation with someone else without her butting in. It just absolutely wears me out physically and mentally to have to work with this woman.Two-faced, self-centered, ego maniac, type-A personalities are my biggest peeve!
I have a coworker that is always talking to me like I am 2 years old.
A whole bunch of people who can’t seem to do anything without being chased, half of whom don’t even do what’s required when chased, and me getting nominated by the boss to do the chasing!
The absolute worst – working with managers who have been with a company so long they think they know everything there is to know about the company, the law…and everything else. They want to tell you how to do the job you were hired to do when they have no experience or training in that field. They believe since they have worked there way up through the company over the years, and have been managers for years, they need no input from anyone else. They do not realize that we all have talents, and that maybe, just maybe others are hired into positions so they can help them in theirs! (Usually these managers are from the traditionalist or boomer generation. I’m a GenX. Go figure!)
Dear Susan,
I am facinated with your articles. I am writing you from Dubai, UAE. Working with differnt nationalities here I have come across a staff who is a bit difficult charater to deal with. Can I talk to you on him and get some advise to tackle him.
is it ok with you. Pls let me know.
Thks N brgds
Mahen
The supervisory team member who is very nice to staff when she is in their presence – then makes derogatory comments about their character, performance, etc. in supervisory meetings.
A coworker that feels the world revolves around her, doesn’t follow any rules, If she can’t have something – she ruins it for other coworkers, has a new drama daily & has to tell EVERYONE about it & never takes responsibility for her actions – blames someone else, also grandstands what she does to boss. Type A personality!
I have an egotistical cubemate who feels the need to talk incessantly, comment on everything we do/don’t do, and gives a constant narrative of what he’s working on. Yesterday, I said to him that must really enjoy the sound of his own voice. He thought I was kidding.
Trying to be thankful I have a job….
The “Know it All”, The “Eavesdropper”, The “I think I’ll Tell You My Opinion Even Though You Didn’t Ask For It” and The “Non Stop Loud Talker” all rolled into one annoying individual.
I have an absentee manager, and I work in a small room with my co-worker. She is such a slacker, she has 2 hour lunches regularly, shows up late, spends half an hour writing personal emails, gets so many personal phone calls that I don’t bother answering our phone. And when anyone drops into our office, she pretends like she is the most knowledgeable about our work. She jumps at any excuse to show off, using ‘I’ and I’ll and I’d be happy to present it, and then says later, ‘we’ll’ organize it before hand.’ The quality of her work is poor, but as it goes into one big pot, my good work gets mixed into her crap. No one knows, and If I squeel, its going to be an even more uncomfortable small room we work in. I need another job!
In addition to negativity and complaining, moodiness and inconsistency drive me nuts, it’s like you don’t know what/who you’re dealing with from one minute to the next, Jeckyl or Hyde. The other thing that drives me nuts is those who keep tabs on what others are doing but don’t follow the rules themselves to make themselves look good or feel superior.
Believing themselves to be more swamped with over-workload than anyone else thus rendering them unavailable to assist with requests for group assistance, they want us to rush through meetings to get “back to work” and also are unavailable to assist with anyone else while requesting help for their own work, when in fact they do less than most in the organization. It’s called Spinning Wheels!