By Tessa West
Handling toxic coworkers with science
Subject
Themes
Every workplace harbours difficult people, and the usual responses to them (venting, avoidance, confrontation, or escalating to management) almost always fail. Bosses are often ill-equipped, too dependent on the jerk, or too conflict-averse to intervene. The real antidote is not toughing it out or fleeing but learning to leverage social relationships, particularly arm's-length professional connections rather than just close friends, to reclaim control.
Every workplace harbours difficult people, and the usual responses to them (venting, avoidance, confrontation, or escalating to management) almost always fail. Bosses are often ill-equipped, too dependent on the jerk, or too conflict-averse to intervene. The real antidote is not toughing it out or…
The study of toxic workplace behaviour sits at the intersection of social psychology, organisational behaviour, and management science, fields that have undergone significant evolution in how they conceptualise interpersonal conflict at work. Tessa West's approach reflects a broader shift in the…
The single most important lesson from decades of studying workplace communication is that jerk-at-work problems cannot be solved alone. The antidote to toxic coworkers is other coworkers, specifically a broad, strategically built social network. This insight runs counter to the instinct most people…
Workplace jerks do not operate in a vacuum. They thrive because of the power structures around them, and understanding these structures is essential to dismantling their influence. The relationship between toxic behaviour and power runs in both directions: jerks exploit power imbalances to get away…
Confronting a difficult colleague ranks among the most dreaded tasks in professional life, yet avoidance almost always makes the situation worse. Research in social psychology demonstrates that the gap between knowing something is wrong and actually addressing it is shaped by predictable cognitive…
One of the most uncomfortable truths about toxic workplace behaviour is that almost everyone is capable of it. The instinct when encountering difficult colleagues is to categorise them as fundamentally different, people with personality defects or moral failings that set them apart from the rest of…
The most persistent theme across all seven types of workplace jerk is that individual bad behaviour thrives in environments where structures are weak, ambiguous, or absent. While personal strategies for coping with difficult colleagues are essential, the deeper lesson is that well-designed systems…
Dave transfers from a Houston shoe store with a legendary reputation for selling so many pairs he won a free car. His new boss, Marie, is immediately charmed. At a cramped Italian restaurant dinner, Dave commandeers the table, spreading his elbows wide and forcing three colleagues to squish together…
Sandra, armed with an Ivy League MBA and a decade of survival in finance, enters real estate under Jose, the top broker in Southern California. Within six months, the pair sell five homes above the five-million-dollar mark. But as Sandra closes the performance gap, Jose grows nervous. First, he…
John is a big deal at his company, or at least he was. He is the first employee ever to receive a luxury car allowance, and his productivity runs five times above average. His boss, Tom, is well-liked and great at de-escalating conflicts between others, but pathologically averse to confrontation…
Max Ringelmann, a French professor of agricultural engineering, notices that his oxen become lazier when pulling loads together rather than alone. Three or four animals work at the same pace as one. Testing this with people, he has twenty young men complete physical challenges alone and in groups.…
Matt, a journalist, cannot make it to the bathroom without his boss Karen intercepting him in the hall. She controls his email signature font, dictates when he may call her (on the hour only), and sends three-paragraph correction emails over minor meeting comments. Despite working more hours than…
Kate's first two weeks under her boss Xander yield nothing but vague platitudes: "Do what inspires you!" While other employees receive concrete tasks with timelines, Kate gets no guidance whatsoever. Feedback meetings happen not at meaningful milestones but whenever Xander's anxiety about being out…
Kunal lands a coveted position working for Julie, a brilliant thirty-year-old advertising executive who climbed the ranks on raw talent alone, the youngest and only woman among senior leaders. They bond over shared working-class backgrounds, and Julie catapults Kunal's career with public praise and…
By Tessa West
Subject
Themes
Every workplace harbours difficult people, and the usual responses to them (venting, avoidance, confrontation, or escalating to management) almost always fail. Bosses are often ill-equipped, too dependent on the jerk, or too conflict-averse to intervene. The real antidote is not toughing it out or fleeing but learning to leverage social relationships, particularly arm's-length professional connections rather than just close friends, to reclaim control.