The Ombuds Blog

Dealing With Obnoxious Coworkers

Real Simple magazine has tips on handling these familiar characters:

• The Clueless Overling
• The Ball-Dropper
• The Belittling Boss
• The Spotlight-Stealer
• The Best-Friend Wannabe
• The Rumormonger
• The Crusading Newbie
• The Approval Pest
• The Chronic Complainer

Sample advice: For the Belittling Boss, “Ask, in private, where the doubt is coming from,” and explain that the constant unconstructive criticism is having a deleterious effect on your output. (Real Simple.)