How do you cope with an arrogant co-worker?

The lady at the receiving end couldn’t stand for herself and instead always retreated into her shell when the so-called ‘superior’ colleague showcased her arrogance. Though that wasn’t the main message of the film, this aspect of the plot stuck to my mind. An arrogant co-worker can really demoralise you and affect your output. So, […]

The lady at the receiving end couldn’t stand for herself and instead always retreated into her shell when the so-called ‘superior’ colleague showcased her arrogance. Though that wasn’t the main message of the film, this aspect of the plot stuck to my mind. An arrogant co-worker can really demoralise you and affect your output. So, how do you cope one?
The Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary defines arrogance as “having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities,” the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines it as “behaving in an unpleasant or rude way because you think you are more important than other people.”
A new employee in an organisation, Emmanuel Omamuyowei, cowered before a co-employee, whom he described as one that behaved like a ‘mister know-it-all,’ because he started working in the company before him. “He kept acting like I didn’t know the job. Even when I did something commendable and people applauded me for it, he used every opportunity to shout at me like I were a child and then hide under the shadow of ‘I am just trying to correct you.’ This almost affected my work. However, I didn’t allow this to discourage me and focused on doing my job perfectly. On this particular day, he shouted at me and it was the last straw for me. I took the bold step and went to his office later, spoke with him humbly about his attitude. To my amazement he listened and changed,” Omamuyowei said of his experience.
But not everyone has had this kind of experience, like Loveth Edward, an architect, who notes that if she were faced with such a situation, she would not hesitate to put such an arrogant co-worker in his or her proper place, even if it means drawing the attention of her employers to it. “I won’t and can’t accept someone’s arrogance because I am not arrogant and I wouldn’t want what would cause friction at my place of work. I would immediately straighten it out with such a person. I would try speaking with the person first, if that does not work, I would then talk to a superior to handle the matter,” she explained.
Olaitan Oladosu, a youth corper serving with a consulting firm in Abuja, shared her experience: “When I got posted to my place of primary assignment, I found it hard to locate it despite the description given by the National Youth Service Corps. When I eventually did, tired and with so much anxiety, I met a young man, whom I presumed to be a youth corper. I thought I had found someone who could understand what I was going through and approached him to inquire about how he got accredited. To my surprise, he said ‘why are you not in your uniform? In short, where is your identity card?’ I felt so timid and apologised anyway. After some weeks, my boss who noticed I was always alone asked if I knew my other colleagues in the organisation and quickly pointed at the same man I had met and who acted like he was already a staff. I was very surprised and angry at the discovery.” Oladosu added that: “I promised myself that day not to allow anybody’s arrogance affect me, because he made me lose my standing in the organisation from the very first day.”
However, Edith Alebe, a teacher, says: “I won’t even take into cognisance your arrogance. If you want to act that way towards me, you are only trying to tell me that I am better than you or that you see me as a challenge. If I eventually notice an arrogant co-worker, I would simply ignore that person and act like he or she doesn’t exist. Such kind of attitude doesn’t easily get to me or affect my productivity.”
In his book: ‘How to work with arrogant co-workers,’ Faizah Imani, an educator, wrote: “When an arrogant and condescending co-worker is present, it can negatively affect the morale of other team members. As an employee, you have a right to work in an environment free of hostility. It is possible that your co-worker is ignorant of his arrogant behavior or how his behavior is affecting others in the workplace. There are ways to address and resolve the issue, including getting management involved in the situation.”