Dealing with Highly Competitive Employees in the Office

Working in an office setting is entertaining for some and difficult for others. The reason it can be difficult is the fact that there are some employees who must take credit for everything, including work done by others or work done by a group, in an effort to boost their own achievements. It is a good trait to be competitive in the workplace but someone who is overly competitive or arrogant can cause a lot of problems in the office, according to the Wall Street Journal.

If a colleague in your office has behavior that is very obnoxious, be sure to sit down and talk with that colleague. When at a meeting, and a colleague keeps interrupting your presentation, do not sit back and take it. Instead, let it be known that the colleague is butting in and it must stop. Make your points but do not become abrasive or ignorant when doing so. This type of employee should not be ignored because the others will begin to resent the supervisor. If the supervisor is going to confront the troublesome employee, he or she must do so while remaining calm.

It is always in your best interest to speak up if an overly competitive co-worker takes credit for your work. Regularly update your superior about your work with emails or phone calls in an effort to make sure your co-worker does not take credit for your work. An employee will not always be recognized by the right people on the corporate ladder, even when the employee keeps his or her head down, mouth shut, and diligently goes about their business.

Always be mindful of a manager, especially when there are highly competitive people working in the office. Superiors might lean on highly competitive people more often, especially if they are high level producers. Superiors might also have the tendency to listen to those who constantly talk instead of those who are silent in the office. A superior must be able to listen to all employees, and take into account each employee’s ideas and thoughts about projects. It is best for a superior to encourage others to speak up at department meetings, even when aggressive employees are dominating the conversation at the meeting.

A superior should also make an effort to spend as much time with all employees when interacting with them outside of work or in the workplace. Managers should never give preference to one employee over another when it comes to conversation, either work related or personal.

Should an employee’s actions border on bullying, the manager should take action as much as possible. This includes making indecent remarks about other workers or blaming other employees for mistakes he or she made. It is always best to seek help from the company’s human resources department when these matters arise.