To think there’s someone like this in every workplace?

[DoorKnobber]

Some one who is arrogant and opinionated, disliked by many colleagues but is good at their job?!

I have one in my work place, I’ve only been there a year and been able to to tolerate him, even get on with him, but he is so self centred, full of opinions as in never shuts up and has an answer for everything... guaranteed he’ll speak out in meetings, usually against everything anyone else has said.

I doubly don’t like him atm (which I think is where this thread has come from) as he has has recently twisted something I Have said to him about working with another colleague. He’s gone and told her that I’ve been slagging her off! Luckily she had the sense to come to me about it and we’ve sorted it. But I really want to confront him about it, but there seems no point as it won’t change him!

Do you have a colleague like this? How do you deal with them?

I let them talk away and simply tolerate them. If I rise to their bait I'll never 'win', so I sit there and silently say what I think in my mind.

Yeah @KatherineJaneway you’re right.

I think that is what the majority of our staff do... even SLT.

One? Only one? I've got tons of the twats where I work!
Luckily this is balanced with lots of absolutely amazing individuals whom I feel blessed to have the pleasure of working with.
I used to get really worked up about people as you describe, but not I just dismiss it and think bellends! Am sure I annoy people at times too

😀 🙈 @Hopingtobeamum, yeah... thinking about it, only 1! Out of about 30 staff, so not bad I guess!

I’m learning that ignoring is the best way.

I think there's 'difficult' people in every large workplace sadly.

Sadly, in my experience it has often been the boss!

Yep! We have one of those. Every single thing you've said. Except he isnt good at his job either. He's a complete bullshitter and wildly exaggerates all his achievements

He causes trouble between colleagues with similar lies to what you have said, but when he gets called out on it he accuses people of picking on him 🙄🙄

Only reason he's still there is because he is so far up the MDs arse it's unreal and he wont have a word said against him

My only saving grace at the moment is that he's been furloughed and I'm working from home so I don't need to deal with him 😂

I think in my workplace it's me.

Luckily it’s not the boss... she (and the other senior team are lovely)

He though, is definitely up the bosses arse, but she’s smart enough to see it!

He’s good at his job because we work with kids and it’s easier to bullshit kids 🤣Although some see through it and can’t stand him.

Well @firstmentat... have you heard the phrase... if you can’t pick out the nobhead in the room then it’s likely to be you.

Yes, I have one of these. Word for word. Everyone hates him.

Although actually I think mine is more like @roking 's colleague. He's full of bullshit.

Yep! She is arrogant and opinionated and very much a sly bitch but very shit at her job.
She bitches about everyone behind their back to certain colleagues who don't actually like her. She goes as far as to tell people to ignore certain people.
I'm now in charge of her and it has been brought to my attention she's also been racist about another colleague. She'll be gone as soon as we go back.

I think this is me. But I'm autistic not arrogant. I just say what I think despite how unpopular it is. I can feel the tension when I contribute though. It's horrible. I am really good at my job and I think that's even more frustrating for people too because they've made my issues a personality thing and and it's not. They can't see beyond it and I feel undervalued and picked on. But I'd never let it show at work and keep on pushing ahead as a means of not breaking. I find the environment very toxic and have been trying to leave for two years.

@DoorKnobber

I heard the same about the "ugly friend".

@peperthecat you have my sympathy!

It's so hard dealing with it daily.

Mine is a compulsive liar too. He lies about the stupidest things!! We don't entertain it anymore. We just say "that didn't happen" and walk away. One guy said once in an American announcers voice "in today's instalment of things that didn't happen we have........" not funny written down, but was hilarious at the time

Yes a couple of those, both fit into the "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

I am not even sure what the one actually does, apart from spending a lot of time wafting around the building looking busy.

Mine is a compulsive liar too.

Mine too! He's Moroccan and he told me that there is a large Jewish population in Morocco and another colleague that Morocco isn't an Islamic country and is actually very secular. Why would you lie about something like that?!

@thegreatwave

Ooh we have one of them too! No one is as busy as she is. Beyoncé probably isn't a busy as this girl. She does admin, but is constantly moaning about her (non-existent) backlog and how much she has to do and how stressed she is

I caught her photocopying a stack of blank paper once, to make herself look busier than she was and when I asked her what she was doing she did the whole "what am I like?? He he he ive picked up the wrong pile to photocopy giggle giggle I'm so silly ha ha"

🙄🙄 she's very draining

Is it bad that I'm enjoying furlough as these people are out of my hair and I'm able to just Fido my job? (I'm not furloughed)

@surlycurly I’m sorry you’re struggling, and having a tough time. I work with ASD teenagers and understand what you mean. I hope you are able to get out of there soon x

@peperthecat 😳😳 you must be working with my guys brother. He took offence to something someone said about Jewish people (it wasn't even offensive) and claimed it was because he's Catholic, and catholic's and Jews are the same 😳😳😳 I couldn't even answer him when he came to complain and told him to get out of my office

He also claims to do a lot for charity and took the day off claiming to be going to meet the cast of Corrie as they were helping with a charity project he was involved in. Took the day off work, was texting one of the other guys with updates of how his day was going, and how nice they were all being to him...... then one of the girls went to the supermarket at lunch and saw him in there 😂😂😂 so it was all a lie. We haven't told him he was caught out, and he STILL tells us all these elaborate stories of things that happened that day and how he had lunch with the cast of Corrie

Yes I think every work place has them. I think there's always a 'I just say it as it is' and a 'I'm crazy, me, everyone says I'm the zany one' as well as a 'I don't normally say anything but thought you should know that Barbara from accounts ...'

For me I've had one extremely defensive colleague in each place I've worked at, who can't take any criticism or if you ask a question about what they've done you get short answers in a defensive "tone", who also like to point out any errors in everyone elses work. I just ignore it

Ah yes @Megatron, they’re harder to spot initially. But I’ve been there 9 months now and slowly seeing them come out!

I’m trying my hardest not to become ‘institutionalised’ but keep my head down, it’s hard and sometimes I have slipped by moaning about arrogant man a couple of times. But I’m getting better!

Before this job I freelanced for 15yrs. Bit in a none competitive environment. I’d go in, do my job, have a laugh, not have to deal with ‘company shit’ and leave. It was bliss!