I have a colleague who is very articulate but incredibly rude. In a recent meeting, after a tirade, they publicly declared that my work needed to "be better," even though there was nothing wrong with it—it just didn't fit their own agenda. I have no problem with constructive criticism, but publicly declaring my work needs improvement without specifics or context feels like a flippant smear to try damage others confidence in me. Fortunately, it didn't work on this occasion, the others present disregarded this colleagues comments about my work. Other examples of their behavior include marking documents with a huge red cross without explanation to show disagreement.
People are seemingly afraid to challenge this person and tread on eggshells, even those more senior than them. This person challenges everyone publicly and frequently, and it seems they aren't receiving private feedback since their behavior hasn't changed. I believe in giving constructive feedback privately whenever possible.
These are just two examples of their behavior, and while they might sound minor, being around someone who behaves like this constantly is not productive in the workplace. People are cautious about approaching this individual for advice, which they are paid to give. I don’t think this behavior is directed at me personally; it seems to be their general approach to many people who are less senior than them. However, I’ve been in their firing line recently, and I can't avoid working with them.
I want to address this delicately, especially as they are senior to me. How would you approach this colleague? I’ve invited them for coffee to "hear their thoughts and learn from their feedback." After I've listened, if they take me up on it, I'm thinking of giving them some gentle feedback on how they made me feel when gave me their recent feedback of "needs to be better."