Photo Credit: NBC
Everyone has or has had one colleague that you wish would go on a permanent leave of absence. You don’t wish the Zika virus on them or the fate of Harambe on their life, but you pray to keep your encounters with them at a minimum. It’s like they wake up in the morning plotting ways to destroy your utter existence for the entirety of your 8+ hour shift.
My first job was at Krystal burger at age 15, and over the course of the last 12 years, I can only think of one colleague and one supervisor responsible for my workplace rage.
Because life is just unfair, this person or persons never uses their sick days and has perfect attendance. Be honest, if it were possible you’d freely give your PTO to them just to avoid having to see their face. Your disdain for them isn’t due to your unlikeability for people. Instead, it’s because they want to try you.
Yes, we all have had to come face-to-face with that one colleague always ready to start mess. They micromanage you. Take inventory of your mistakes. Watching the clock as you go to lunch. The list is endless. Did I mention they’re likely screenshotting your tweets and Facebook posts ready to take their findings to a supervisor?
I once had a male colleague who could recite my tweets verbatim.
Dude, why are you so (still) pressed?
Now that I primarily work in any environment I choose, I have come to appreciate the suffering(s) I endured from annoying colleagues. They made me tough and a better employee.
Your rigid coworkers are likely doing you a favor as well. Here’s what I’ve come to realize..
Usually, these employees are insecure, for whatever reason and use you as a pawn to deflect the attention from their shortcomings.
[Tweet “Even if you are a shitty worker, no one has the right to create a hostile environment.”]Use their tactics to your advantage because really they’re catapulting you to your next gig.
1. Email Communication
The colleague CC’ing (even blind copying) everyone and their great aunt Rita on every email sent to you is the opportune moment for you to brush up on your email etiquette. Avoid slang, include the proper thank yous and always fact check your responses. Before you hit “send’, feel confident in knowing you didn’t jump the gun on any information.
2. Timeliness
Five minutes late here and there usually turns into a half hour late all the time. Repeated tardiness can infringe on productivity. While you think no one is watching and you’re a smooth criminal getting away with time robbing, there is someone always watching. To you, it means you can make up the time elsewhere but to your petty coworker they’re thinking “if I have to be on-time, why can’t they?”. Same goes for leaving early. “If I have to stay the entire time, why don’t they?”. It boils down to fairness. Because we aren’t the country known for minding our own damn business, best believe a coworker will make your time card their priority. Getting in the habit of being on time will actually create better habits in all areas of your life.
3. Bring Your A-Game
Your annoying coworker will do whatever is within their power to make you look bad. You better believe they have an Excel document with each one of your errors listed. (You laugh, but I once saw a colleague’s notes with exact times that I made an error.) As pathetic as this sounds, someone is documenting your shortcomings. This is all the more reason to always be sharp and on your toes. Whenever you’re called to the carpet for the said error, have a full rebuttal showing all the reasons why you’re the model employee. Provide examples as to how you’ve been doing top notch work. With that being said, you had better been doing top notch work. Whenever your coworker calls out your mistake, don’t get upset. Get better. Even if it means you staying late or taking outside training, fix your error and show your boss that you can strengthen all areas. Your nosey coworker is actually making you an expert.
4. Great listening skills
They interrupt during your presentations or have to one-up your every thought. Here is where you fight the fray by letting them speak. Don’t mouth battle. The loudest one in the room is usually the weakest one in the room. You know this. While they’re doing backbends trying to earn a gold star from the boss, this is your time to be more observant. When you’re competitive in meetings or seminars, likely you’ll miss out on valuable information. While you don’t want to be the wallflower at work, you also don’t want to be known as the nuisance. Less is more. Sixty percent of communication is nonverbal. Open your ears and show what you know.
Even if you learn nothing, you look engaged.
5. Leadership
Your rude coworker is making you a better leader and you probably didn’t realize it. Remember those times you needed help and no one lifted a hand? How about the times they took credit for your genius ideas? Or even the moments when you were treated as though you weren’t a valuable part of the team.
This applies to the new kids on the block.
It feels as if none of your veteran colleagues have the time to take you under their wing. Being the newcomer is a difficult place to be in, especially when you are truly trying your best to be great. Because of the hell you’re receiving now, you will have so much glory soon enough.
One day you’ll be the vet having to put up with the rookie who doesn’t seem to do a damn thing right. And suddenly you will have the full circle moment where you remember being in their shoes. Although you’re busy and your patience is wearing thin, you’ll always remember the times when no one wanted to give you a chance. Here’s your opportune moment to make it right and mentor. Your younger self will thank you.
A bad coworker can make it difficult to get your work done and cause you to want to leave a job you actually like.
Don’t let it get you down. You’ll be better for it in the end.
