Is Your Colleague Overly Aggressive?

Somewhat little bit of competitors might be each enjoyable and motivating to many; however, when a colleague is continually competing, this will affect productiveness and morale within the office.

Aggressive colleagues should surpass you, making the only contest right into a rivalry. Some such colleagues take competitors past its supposed objective. Not solely should they win commonplace organized matches like gross sales contests, however additionally they try to show most different duties right into a conflict, purely for the “prize” of popping out forward.

You could be brainstorming for an answer, with everybody providing potentialities, but aggressive colleagues take it as a private rejection when their concepts aren’t accepted. By denying them the applause they search, you turn into their enemy.

You aren’t conscious you’re in a contest, whereas aggressive colleagues really feel compelled to maintain profitable at no matter they do with you, no matter what it prices them. Deep down, they’re afraid they don’t actually excel, and they also really feel compelled to show to themselves and to you that they’re superior. They’re saddled with an pointless load—the concern that they might not proceed being the very best. They’re on prime of the world once they win, dejected once they don’t. All of this topics you to a perpetually tense state of affairs.

What You’re Pondering

“We needs to be pooling our concepts to evolve a sooner process. I prefer to match wits with Scarlett as a result of she makes me justify my reasoning, however she’s turning this into some kind of rivalry to make herself shine. She’s making an attempt to get me to say I’m unsuitable as a result of I don’t do issues her method. She should lie awake at evening dreaming up schemes to come back out wanting higher than the remainder of us.”

A Competitor’s Ideas

“Why did I’ve to embarrass myself like that? If solely I’d labored somewhat longer, I may have devised a profitable plan. I do know I can outthink them, however they preserve placing me down as a result of they received’t admit I’m smarter than they’re. My coworkers fake to be my buddies, however they’re standing in the way in which of my promotion. I’ve to attempt more durable to wipe them out.”

Technique

Your aim is to revive a pleasant ambiance, so you possibly can get pleasure from your work with none hostility.

1. Be skilled and gracious. Give rivals the respect and recognition they desperately search. In knowledgeable method, present them that you simply need to be pleasant regardless that they rebuff you. Permit them to really feel necessary in order that they received’t must run you all the way down to uplift their shallowness.
2. Clarify the worth of synthesizing. The entire (ensuing end result) is larger than the sum of the elements as a result of while you share your considering and extract the very best ideas from every of you, you type a brand new and extra helpful mixture.
3. Be honorable in taking and giving credit score. You need credit score to your work, and aggressive colleagues ought to get credit score for theirs. Don’t enable them to say as their achievements your efforts or joint efforts. Focus on operating your individual race, not on looking for revenge with soiled tips of backstabbing.

Tip: In case your ego is unbroken, you possibly can afford to be beneficiant. You may give aggressive colleagues the reassurance they want when you are spurred on to higher creativity, matching wits with another person who’s reaching for a greater method.

Copyright© 2022 Amy Cooper Hakim