We’ve all had them. Sneaky, conniving, brown nosing, two-faced insidious colleagues.
The kind that have the reputation about them that everyone loves, can do no wrong, is employee of the month. But you don’t see it. And you know why you don’t see it? Because it ISN’T THERE!
What is it about that particular personality type that creates a conniving brown nosing, spinelss git? Who or what brought/dragged you up?! Here’s the collective questions from people who “just can’t” with you anymore:
1) WHY! Why are you like this?!
2) What joy is this bringing you?!
3) What do you gain from either:
a) leaving out important information that intentionally impedes me from doing my work at my fullest capacity?!
b) dropping last minute notices on me – not attending a meeting, assigning tasks at 8pm in the evening that are due in the following morning?!
4) If you’re my peer, how is it that you insist on behaving like my senior?!
5) Patronising POS!?!
Granted that last one is not a question, but collectively from all the exhausted people out there, that’s a gift especially pour vous!
Now that I’ve had a chance to vent my day away I can write this post. Like I said in my first ever post, I hate my job. I’m overqualified for it. I have a PhD and I am doing a menial administrative role, that is physically draining due to the sheer workload of crap that gets dumped on me every day. I am not intellectually challenged, I am asked to do things waaay below my pay grade, I am bored and I am tired. And I also have a shitty work colleague. However, and this is the interesting bit, nobody else seems to know it. Well, none of the seniors seem to know it. Contrarily they all seem to think he’s some amazing employee that they can’t do without. He has very carefully managed to carve out a niche place for himself, in the most insidious way.
The first time I recognised his insidious behaviour was 1 month into my starting. I asked him to keep me in the loop about a project. He didn’t. A follow up meeting for that project was due where I was meant to lead. I hadn’t heard any correspondence for that particular project and I, stupidly, assumed he would keep me in the loop – much like I would have done if someone asked of me a similar thing – but he didn’t. He conveniently forwarded me all communication 1 hour AFTER the meeting had finished. I henceforth looked like a tit. Bearing in mind I asked if there had been any communication with the project, and he said there wasn’t. I immediately scrolled down the email trail to check the time-stamp of the last email sent: 2 days ago.
Another great example is that they avoid introducing you to people you haven’t met yet in the company. They ignore you and don’t ask for your input for the whole meeting, whereas your colleague is given importance and asked for their input. Weird. 20 minutes after the meeting, said person emails you and apologises profusely for dismissing you – “I thought you were HR!” (Doesn’t absolve you from dismissing me, by the way, but I’ll let this slide). Followed by an immediate message from said colleague saying, “oops! So Sorry I didn’t introduce you!!!11!!1!”.
Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about this kind of person. They have, somehow, managed to find a place for themselves in the very brickwork of the company that you work in. Without them it seems the company would fall apart or cease to exist. There is no point in complaining to your seniors – do not let them know you are not liking the role, or that the job is not living up to your expectations, or that Bob over there is one missed email away from a serious running over with your car.
It is POINTLESS to convince people who are already enamoured by a troll to see sense, or to think otherwise. Especially if you’re new to the company. You have to “get over it”. Because ignoring it is not an option. I haven’t made peace with the fact that I have to get over this yet.
I just cannot reconcile this behaviour shown by this supposed whole ass adult in my head.
Love & Laissez-faire x
This is the right website for anybody who wants to find out about how to deal with insidious colleagues. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would want toÖHaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic which has been written about for years. Excellent stuff, just excellent!