Is your co-worker a jerk who makes life difficult for you? It is unpleasant to deal with such people. We want to avoid such people, but unfortunately, that's not always possible. Toxic people in the workplace can drive away valuable talent, making them a bigger problem for employers. If you are dealing with such people now, I found a survival guide for you. Jerks at Work: Toxic Co-workers and What to Do About Them by Tessa West talks about different types of toxic co-workers and how you can deal with such people. Here's how to identify five types of jerks you are most likely to encounter in the workplace.

"We're seeing right now that the number one reason people leave jobs is because of dealing with difficult bosses or co-workers. It's not compensation. It's not work from home flexibility. They have hit their wall of stress, and they're not going to put up with the drama anymore." – Tessa West

The Manipulative Suck-up

These employees are excellent at making their bosses like them while everyone else hates them. They will do anything to get ahead, including but not limited to sabotaging others and backstabbing. They will work quietly behind your back and cover their tracks efficiently. They are skilled and talented people, so bosses tend to like them.

If the suck-up is a colleague, don't confront them. While confrontation is best for dealing with bullies, the suck-ups are excellent at handling it. They will just level up their game, and you will be worse off than before. The best way is to find a neutral third party who understands the situation and can deal with the people objectively.

As a boss, the suck-ups can look like productive and responsible employees. They can isolate you from other employees by offering to oversee the day-to-day on your behalf. The best solution is to have direct contact with your employees, so you know exactly what's happening.

The Do-nothing

This type of colleague will get other people to do their work because they either don't want to do it or do not know how to do it. They are likeable people and others enjoy having them around. They are common in high-performing, autonomous teams that don't require much oversight. They will get each team member to do small chunks of their assignment, so no one realizes that one person is not doing anything.

The key to dealing with such employees is to set clear expectations at the beginning and document the work done regularly. When the do-nothing shows up, you will discover a mismatch between what people agreed to do and what they are actually doing, including giving advice, setting meetings, etc.

What do-nothing employees need is a manager who keeps a tight reign and sees past their excuses. There is no use in shaming such a co-worker. Try reminding them why their contribution in necessary and create a structured plan for them going forward.

The Credit Stealers

Some employees feel like they deserve all the credit for any work done by a team or others. Some people steal credit unintentionally as well. In the book, West recommends creating a clear record of what was said in a meeting and by whom. By clearly documenting who made what suggestions and gave which ideas, we can combat credit stealing in the workplace.

You can make rules at the start of the meeting about how the group will acknowledge each other's contributions. Bosses can avoid speaking first so others can share their perspectives first. When someone shares an idea, they can recognize the person. Suppose a second person restates the idea later in the meeting and receives credit for it. In that case, the boss can remind people of the originator.

The Over-talkers

Personally, this is the worst colleague. They talk too much and don't allow others to speak. They also have a terrible habit of interrupting others and speaking simultaneously as someone else. They talk all the time, think aloud, and don't know when to stop talking. People in power tend to do this. They would begin to repeat the same points again differently, even if everyone else understood. People talk too much because people who speak a lot seem to be eloquent and intelligent. The reality is precisely the opposite.

I purposely made the last paragraph to illustrate the problem with over-talkers. They tend to lose others' attention. Typically, if you speak on the same thing for more than a minute, people will stop listening and won't even tell you. The best way to deal with over-talkers is to adhere to strict time limits, after which you will have to yield the stage to others.

The My Way or No Way

Such employees always have to get their way. If they don't like the decisions made in a meeting, they will question the process and sabotage any progress. They will go to their boss or higher with a vague complaint or an error in how things work. They will make themselves indispensable by not sharing access or knowledge, so others must rely on them to make progress.

This employee has too much power. The best way to deal with this is to prevent this from happening in the first place. Ensure that no single employee is entirely indispensable. Create backups and redundancies, share resources, and decentralize power wherever possible. This also ensures continuity if the employee is unavailable or leaves the organization. You don't want a single person to dominate the process to such an extent.

Now you know how to deal with jerks at work, I hope you can make a positive change for your organization. Creating a positive and cohesive work culture starts with a single person determined to move beyond the drama that arises due to toxic people. You now have tremendous power in your hands. Godspeed!

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