Narcissism in a team: How to scratch a narcissist’s ego

The 5 worst colleagues

Especially in situations where there is immense pressure, some employees tend to make all sorts of absurd promises. Either to get attention or to please the superior or management. It’s always easy to make promises, but if the mega project isn’t completed in the promised two and a half weeks, that’s unfavorable. Alexander Maasik recommends: “If there is a team member who is constantly making false promises that it is already clear that they are impossible to keep, you should no longer take his words at face value. If you can, extend the time frame and/or increase budget or resource use to compensate for bottlenecks in other areas.”

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Then there are those colleagues who interpret the collaboration principle of shared responsibility in their own unique way. True to the motto: “The others will sort it out.” In such a case, expert Maasik advises assigning the employee in question a defined role and specified responsibilities in the team. Alternatively, you could also ask the person in charge if there are any areas that particularly interest them. Maybe you could rekindle his passion for performance. “Sometimes you can motivate such people by giving them leadership responsibilities or giving them responsibility for a particular area/issue that they are passionate about. Unfortunately, if the colleague in question is known to be excessively reluctant to work, the only solution is to keep an eye on him (or her) and reach out to higher authorities if necessary.”

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It is only human to strive for appreciation and recognition. But some people exaggerate this to the extent that they almost believe it themselves when they falsely attribute other people’s successes to themselves. Maasik: “Unfortunately, the enthusiasm of these people decreases rapidly when it comes to taking responsibility for failures. In order to counteract such developments, it is advisable to record exactly who is responsible for which part of the project work. This way, everyone involved can see who is making what contribution. If someone insists on taking credit, make sure that they get their money’s worth even in the event of failure.”

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There is no way that team morale will go downhill faster and more directly than someone who constantly criticizes, “points out” mistakes or just complains about every aspect of a project. No matter whether it’s about responsibilities, workloads or strategy, the flaw magnate always has something to complain about. “This behavior is absolutely toxic to teamwork. These people spend more time complaining than doing their jobs. The best way to deal with such people: 1. Ignore the complaining, 2. Give him so much responsibility that he (or she) doesn’t have time to complain anymore.”

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Some people work better alone. It’s not a problem at all. Unless they are people who are involved in team projects. Then someone who ignores instructions as a matter of principle and is fond of going it alone could jeopardize the entire project. That’s why Alexander Maasik recommends that it’s better to put such people on the sidelines: “Find an area in the project where such an employee can work alone or realize themselves. This way you get the maximum productivity out of this colleague and at the same time ensure that the rest of the team remains intact.”