Dealing with obnoxious personalities in the IT workplace

MagnumOpus

So, I have this supervisor who barks orders in a condescending manner when he becomes frustrated. His favorite saying is " You're not listening" after something has been said once during a training event. This really irks me to no end. I've trained many individuals and if I have to repeat my self 15 times or self reflect on my teaching methods, I undoubtedly will.

Yesterday, I almost flipped on him and reluctantly gave it a pass and bit my tongue. I'm also dealing with individuals who pose as if they've never been a student in their lifetime. As if they were born all knowing of things IT. I do my job to the best ability and ask tons of questions to deeply understand what it is I'm doing. Isn't that what IT is all about? What methods do you implore to keep yourself from "losing your religion?"


TIA

kiki162

I have a great method...it's called getting more education ..and then poof next job.

Unfortunately, you have to deal with the "ass clowns" everywhere you go. Best thing is to ignore them as best as you can, rise above the rest, and at some point you'll find a better opportunity out there.

markulous

Agreed with kiki. Get the experience and absorb what you can and continue to work on certs. If after 6 months to a year it's still a poor environment, move on.

IT can have a lot of egos, but not if the management and training are good. That usually minimizes it.

kohr-ah

Going through the same way now.
Depends on what you count as obnoxious - I have a coworker who has anger fits and goes off on me randomly. I have even brought it up to management and they aren't doing a lot about it. Needless to say once my little one is born in 2 months and stable, I will be looking elsewhere but until then because of here I have my CCNP and CCDP so I can ride it out for another 6 months.

The one in front of me cracks me up though.. He types on the keyboard like the keys killed his family and he wants revenge *TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP*

thatguy67

Haha, there is an irritating guy in one of my night classes. A group of students could have some conversation he is not a part of, but he will cut in and correct people in a rude tone, sometimes he isn't even correct and when he realizes it he just looks away.

A classmate started a ticker to how many times he spoke in an hour, and he got 68. The odd thing was when we all walk out to our cars after class, he is quiet and doesn't say anything. I am guessing he is the bottom-rung at his job and he can only display some supposed importance in this class, or has some other insecurity *shrug*

Kinda sad how he needs that attention and validation...anyway just view those people as being with the territory of having a job, and perhaps even motivation to get promoted or find a better job. Just like some jerk who cuts you off on the freeway, there will always be clowns around

joemysterio

There is someone that i'm dealing with now who is really annoying and obnoxious. It's almost like he has to hear himself talk. No matter what it is, he runs his mouth. If someone asks him something, he goes on a long and unnecessary explanation of even the most obvious and mundane details. Often repeating the question that was posed to him, too.

He constantly cusses and says stupid comments like "and i've checked all of our GPOs to the deepest parts of hell and can't find it!" even to random people despite being in a work environment. Any chance he gets, he spews out stuff like that.

But he is a nice guy.

Danielh22185

I work with a guy like this. He is the type that has to be the center of attention and is "never wrong". He constantly is poking fun at people, sometimes in an inapproriate way that simply isn't funny. He is also one of our more senior guys and has been in the same role for 9 years+. I try to ignore him as much as possible because he is also one of those types that doesn't have an open mind to difference of opinion and you will get nowhere if you end up in a debate with him. I just let him go on his marry way knowing at one point he will probably face being let go because he makes too much money for the position and isn't marketing himself well. I will move past him on to bigger an better things soon. I just keep telling myself the job is just temporary and I am just here to absorb what I can and move on. On a side note I have actually found a way to get along with him, I just let him lead the charge and feel important.

thenjduke

I usually deal with people like this who think they are never wrong and always have to be the center of attention. This is when I play dumb and ask a ton of questions. I always ask why and then that person explains it then I pose another why question to him or her. This is even when I know how to do it. This makes them feel important and then the next time that duty comes along I jump right on board with it and do what he or she taught me and take the lead on it and makes them feel really small because they just shared their expierence and knowledge with me. Always find a way to learn from these people and use their knowledge to your advantage I say.

MeanDrunkR2D2

I currently work with a guy who is the classic Napoleon complex type of guy. Nice for the most part, but when he gets frustrated or busy, he starts talking down to me and others and is pretty much condescending towards me at that point. Almost like he thinks he is my boss, but he's not. I usually just say "excuse me" in a rather pissed off voice and he stops it. Of course, I'm about a foot taller than he is and have more IT knowledge than he does and most of his ideas are garbage and I usually let him beat his head against the wall doing something I know won't work.

Sadly, there are jerks out there and I know I can't change them and I won't let them affect me or my performance.

iBrokeIT

MagnumOpus wrote: »

So, I have this supervisor who barks orders in a condescending manner when he becomes frustrated. His favorite saying is " You're not listening" after something has been said once during a training event. This really irks me to no end.

As adult and professional, I have very little tolerance for verbal abuse and have no problem standing up for myself when confronted with it.

I give everyone one free outburst a month. After that I am going to call you out on your less than professional conduct and attitude which in your case is making it more difficult to learn and affecting moral.

Your boss' behavior isn't going to change unless it is brought to his attention and you show you are not OK with it.

Snow.bros

Yeah I have big egos going around and I have a couple of significant others who are just moody (sometimes it's impossible to work with them) their mood usually dictates the atmosphere in the office, if they are angry then we should be angry. It was my first time working with someone who comes in angry and grumpy in the morning. So yup you not alone on this buddy. This is part of the reason why I joined these forums some people get irritated when you ask questions, but then again I think the work environment I am in does not tolerate learners maybe because they get the impression you are failing to do your job when ask questions.

bhcs2014

Snow.bros wrote: »

Yeah I have big egos going around and I have a couple of significant others who are just moody (sometimes it's impossible to work with them) their mood usually dictates the atmosphere in the office, if they are angry then we should be angry. It was my first time working with someone who comes in angry and grumpy in the morning. So yup you not alone on this buddy. This is part of the reason why I joined these forums some people get irritated when you ask questions, but then again I think the work environment I am in does not tolerate learners maybe because they get the impression you are failing to do your job when ask questions.

This sounds just like my work environment.

I just know that once I get enough experience and knowledge that noobs ask me questions I will be glad to help and explain things to them.

Jon_Cisco

I think all jobs have these types. Unfortunately in IT you are often working very close with them or fixing the mistakes they make. I get along with most people by letting them have their say. That usually satisfies the need to be heard. What really drives me crazy is the people that jump to a conclusion and present it to the customer. Then I have to tactfully get us back to the correct conversation and fix the real problems.

In the end you can't control what people do but you have the ability to control your response.

StevenP2013

kiki162 wrote: »

I have a great method...it's called getting more education ..and then poof next job.

Unfortunately, you have to deal with the "ass clowns" everywhere you go. Best thing is to ignore them as best as you can, rise above the rest, and at some point you'll find a better opportunity out there.

This is spot on! I could not agree more. I would only add more education and/or certifications, use the negativity you have to deal with as motivation to go home and study hard. Then when you aquire more credentials, look for another job. The environment you are in is never going to change. So you have to adapt, buy your time, and move on. Do not get sucked into their game.

In 2009 I had just moved to the Cincinnati area from Michigan. I was desperate to take the first full time job I could find. I had a Bachelor in IT at the time, as well as A+ and I just passed the Network+ only got 3 wrong. I got a job in a 24/7 call center. I figured out quickly they had created their own personal hell there. Most of them had been there at least 3 years, some up to 7 years, at level 1 call center. The mud slinging and back stabbing was 24/7. They did there best to avoid work, such as call avoidance, or ticket avoidance. I had only been there a couple months and went right back to school for an MSISA from WGU that included 4 certs at the time. I had worked at the call center for 2 years and 9 months. I even agreed to work weekends to avoid some of the drama during the week. I even took a seat that was in a weird location, away from everyone else. But when it was my last week, I went over and told a handfull of them I was quitting to focus on school full time. I was credit card debt free, car paid off, insurance paid for the next 6 monts, and savings built up. In six months I would have an MSISA and 3 more security related certs. The looks on their faces made it all worth it. They all had looked like I had just broke them mentally. Some of them may have even realized how much energy they had wasted on negative things. I had ignored all that and focused on long term goals.

About 6 months later, I did what I said I would do. I got the degree and certs. I got a job that was 1,000X better. The next job after that was 5,000X better, and now my current job is 10,000X better. But now I am setting higher goals. I am on the waiting list for VMWare training for the VCP. After that I am going to finally get the CCNA. Then I will probably focus on Linux and security related tools.

Tangent over. I can said without a doubt, the BS and Ass Clowns I had to deal with, motivated me to work even harder to get past that. I was already motivated, excited, and anxious to get to the higher levels of IT. But experiencing that, I became a fanatic about studying.

Tremie24

Glad I'm not the only one that has to deal with people like this, but I have to agree it does motivate me more to learn more so I can move on to that next position.

Fulcrum45

I feel for you guys. My boss and I are the only two running a 140 user office(s) so there's no egos to be had. My boss is humble, admits to his mistakes and is always ready to show me something new. He has forgotten more than I will probably ever know. There are egos on the user end but being the natural comedian that I am everyone seems to like me. Hard to hate someone who keeps you laughing.

John-John

I've had to deal with some bad ones. Eventually they self destruct in some manner. Especially if they are young and don't know how to play the political game. It is not a pretty sight to watch but it is almost inevitable in every work place. Ignore it and never stoop to their level and let god sort them out.

Kai123

Fulcrum45 wrote: »

I feel for you guys. My boss and I are the only two running a 140 user office(s) so there's no egos to be had. My boss is humble, admits to his mistakes and is always ready to show me something new. He has forgotten more than I will probably ever know. There are egos on the user end but being the natural comedian that I am everyone seems to like me. Hard to hate someone who keeps you laughing.

Our NOC manager bought the office a coffee machine, and we have a TV hooked up with a looping video of a fire, everything in a great mood. Its terrifying to know that if I ever leave here, I would probably not find a place like it.

Before this job I was in the Public sector, working with a team of 4 guys who were in the same place for 12 years each. One of the guys would bang his desk on the stupidest things, and most of the conversation was how not to do anything.

StevenP2013

Kai123 wrote: »

Our NOC manager bought the office a coffee machine, and we have a TV hooked up with a looping video of a fire, everything in a great mood. Its terrifying to know that if I ever leave here, I would probably not find a place like it.

Before this job I was in the Public sector, working with a team of 4 guys who were in the same place for 12 years each. One of the guys would bang his desk on the stupidest things, and most of the conversation was how not to do anything.

At the 24/7 call center I mentioned above, there was a guy that had been there for almost 10 years (at level 1 call taker). He would bang his desk on almost every call when he got frustrated. He had a high school education (I understand college isnt for everyone and yes you can be succesfull without it but it is nice to have and I am doing everything I can to not be excluded from consideration) and a few Microsoft certs. I think his issue was he lacked persuasian skills, as well as soft skills. He also had poor english skills but yet criticized people calling in, as we worked nights and people called from London, China, Ireland, etc. He would say English ___ ____, learn how to speak it. That would be right after he asked them "Whens the last time you was able to login". That is the stuff of comedy gold right there.

keenon

I have dealt with all of the people spoken about. I will agree exit plan and strategy are the best approach.


In cases where this is not your boss. however, i could be wrong as they may be testing your for a spine.

Kindly take them to the side and check them in a professional but stern way (i had to do this myself on more than one occasion ) which is nothing i have experienced in all my years until recently

MagnumOpus

Thanks for the advice guys:)