Working with a jerk?

Continuing our exploration of the different varieties of office jerk, we’ve already looked at how to cope when the jerk is your boss. This week we outline the pitfalls of working with a peer Jerk:

These come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing remains constant: they want to look good at someone’s – likely yours – expense. Beware giving the benefit of the doubt to any colleague until they’ve proved they’re a true team player and not out for all the kudos and promotion. So watch out for:

The office politicians: Seldom overt, subtlety being one of the tools in the office politico armoury – i.e. damning your efforts with faint praise, burying your good ideas, claiming your best ideas as theirs and making sure they get the plum jobs. All the time.

Bonus hoggers: Come appraisal time and remuneration reviews they’re in the forefront of the “Me First’ brigade. There’s no incentive for them to evaluate peers fairly if it means their slice of the pie is going to shrink if they do. So you’ll have the very familiar scenario of work colleagues telling you you’re doing fantastically throughout the year, only to have them drop a bombshell in your 360 peer review.

The office killjoy: Mr or Ms It’llNeverWork: uses demotivation and demoralization as a weapon to reduce your effectiveness – so they shine in comparison. Don’t let them get to you.

Coping with a jerk peer? Keep your antennae permanently a-quiver, only trust those who’ve demonstrated they’re straight-up team members, don’t rush into workplace friendships with unknown quantities, try not to let them get you down…and finally, don’t stoop to playing the game their way.