The 6 Most Annoying Coworkers Every Kenyan Company Never Lacks

Unless you are extremely lucky or tolerant you will have your fair share of annoying co-workers over the years. Since you spend a lot of your time at work, your colleges become your second family. In the course of your career you will come around people that will just leave you wondering, ‘which hole did you crawl from?’

You know that kind of co-worker who just makes you think ‘Oh please kill me now’ because they won’t stop yapping about some horrible details in their dating life. Who cares? I mean, go see a shrink or something or better still join a support group.

1. Mr. /Ms. Know It All

We get it- you went to the best schools in the country. You attended the top private university in Kenya. You have been here longer than all of us. You have seen it all happen and you know almost everything about the organization.

This kind of co-worker will stop- at nothing to tell you how right they are about an issue. If you went rock climbing with buddies over the weekend, they climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. What do you know? You know how you nailed that presentation last week and how everyone congratulated you? Well they have already done or could have done it better. Annoying, right? We are in the same office. What happened to patting colleague’s back for a good job well done?

How to handle them: The best way to handle a Mr. /Ms. Know-It-All is to always arm you with information. Information is power they say. Arm yourself with the facts. If you happen to be working in the same project, have your part ready with no loop holes. Have supporting documents ready. That way you will beat them at their own game.

2. The Space Invader

This one has only one goal and mission, to invade your personal space. They are the usual ‘just popping in’ kind of individuals. Imagine you on your desk concentrating on your work and then boom! Out of nowhere they just bust in and start talking about…well something. They will without shame crash into the seat next to you and start yapping or worse pushes your work aside to sit on your desk.

How to handle a space invader: The best way to deal with this kind of a co worker is to play the unavailable card. If you hear them approaching just put a jacket or something on the available seat or space on your desk.

3. The Slacker

He/she is the kind of person who is busy taking countless selfies with their new Iphone and posting on IG and sending numerous friend requests on Facebook or planning an imaginary wedding while you are busy working. These kinds of people have no regard for team work. Woe unto you if you are assigned a project with them. You must be psychologically prepared to finish the work on your own. They are the people who can easily get you fired easily.

The solution: If it doesn’t affect your work ignore it. Let them slack their day away. If you are able to complete that assignment without their input just do it the best way you can. If it does affect your performance create time to discuss this with your boss.

4. The Gossip

She knows a thing or two about every person in the office and will not fail to use this against you when need arises. They are like chameleons- taking the form of anything they are around. She will be your best bud one time until she is spreading gossip about how you are crashing on the new IT guy. Like a snake, she is cunning and will eagerly wait for you to fall into her trap. She will try to learn all she can about your personal life and later uses it to ‘destroy’ you.

How to handle them; The best way to handle a gossip is to avoid them by all means. When you are having lunch and you sense a wave of gossip creeping in, just excuse yourself.

5. The Bully

This is normally a person who has some form of authority and will not hesitate to show who the boss is. They use it as weapon to bring you down. He or she is the worst of all annoying coworkers because it is very hard to avoid them. They are also in most cases key players in how top management perceives you. Worst case scenario, the bully could be your boss!

How to handle a bully: Try to act like you are not affected by their jab. At other times you may hit them back with a witty response that will not cost you your job. However the best remedy is to just walk away unaffected by what they said or did. If the bully happens to be your boss, the best you can do is to ensure that you always finish your assigned task in time. The trick is to always stay ahead of them so they have nothing against you.

6. Mr. /Ms. Do You Know Who I Am?

This is the kind of person who feels entitled to a certain level of authority in the office because they know or a related to someone in top management. After taking too long to get their degree, someone somewhere uses their connections to hook them up with a job. They are the spoilt little brats in the office who have no excuse flaunting their arrogance.

How to deal with them; The key to this is to find a common ground. What do you have in common or what do they enjoy doing (besides being arrogant) that you don’t mind engaging in. Use this to form a bond with them so that at least they become a little bit tolerable.

Find Out >>> The 6 Kinds of Bad Bosses

Every organization has some employees who showcase inappropriate and arrogant behaviors at work. However, you must be able to get along with all colleagues so as to stay productive and avoid conflicts.