How to Work with a Jerk

Happy Wednesday, Besties!

Leigh kicks us off this week with a story that sounds ridiculous, but happens too often at work (a leader declaring “You’re not allowed to talk to those people”). And it’s fitting, because this episode is all about working with difficult people. Come take a listen!

In this week’s episode:

• Intro Story: The time Leigh was told not to talk to people (While “less work” sounds nice, it’s not nice when it just makes doing your job harder).

• Corporate Cringe Speak: The “special exception that won’t happen again (except it totally does happen again).

• Hot Topic: Coaching a Co-Worker (We almost called this “How to Work with an A**hole,” but we try to keep the episode titles family-friendly). We talk about what a difficult co-worker can look like (If you’re reading this, that means you listen to our podcast, which means you’re definitely not one!), and whether and how you can address it - effectively.

• Questions & Comments: As always, our closing thoughts including the nicest thing someone has done for us at work (and you can do these for your co-workers! Well, maybe not quite Ashley’s…)

Discussion Guide – For Your Next Podcast Group or Team Chat

• Don’t Speak: Have you ever been told - explicitly or “subtly” - not to connect with certain people at work? How can we create space for open communication across groups, without it becoming too much for anyone?

• “You’re Being a Jerk”: If someone’s being difficult at work, how do you decide how to address it? What’s been helpful to actually make a positive change?

• Heartwarming: What’s the kindest thing someone’s ever done for you at work?

ChatGPT Prompts of the Week

Professional:

• How do I give feedback to a co-worker who [insert thing that drives you up a wall] when I’m not their manager?

• What’s something I could do for a colleague that would make their day?

Personal(ish):

• What are things I may be doing that drive people crazy?

Whether you’re trying to talk to someone, avoid talking to them, or just here for the stories, we got you. And you can always talk to us - drop a line in our inbox below!

You’re Always Welcome at Our Table,
Your HR Besties

Click here to reach out to is with your questions and comments. We love anonymous intro stories!