by Maria Papadopoulou

Created on: January 20, 2010

Co-workers are not always rays of sunshine. Sometimes they do not like you. Sometimes it is not so much that they do not like you, it is more than they are jealous of you and your position in the company.  And  sometimes they are just going through something and they happen to be lashing out to you, because you happen to be there. Whatever the case, it goes without saying that you are definitely not obligated to put up with such an attitude. It is time for revenge. You can give your co-workers a taste of their own medicine. You can annoy them too!

The best ways to annoy co-workers

1. Stay cool and collected

Nothing can irritate an co-worker more than see you staying cool and collected while he is trying to get on your nerves. Keep a smile on your face no matter what and resist the urge to tell him in no uncertain terms what you really think of him. Look him straight in the eyes,and count till ten before uttering a word. That will actually help you think of a proper answer to give rather than simply reacting emotionally.

2. Focus on the facts

An obnoxious co-worker rarely ever has his facts straight. Usually he likes to focus on certain parts, conveniently ''forget'' the parts he does not happen to like, or try to twist things around for his benefit. If you refuse to get sidetracked, focus on the facts and discuss them and only them, then you will annoy your co-worker who will  also get bored pretty soon. It takes two to fight, and if you are not interested, neither will he.

3.Stand up for yourself

When co-workers try to stir up trouble, what they expect to see is you falling apart, busting into tears and begging for mercy. If you stand up for yourself and show them in a classy, yet firm manner that there are certain boundaries they should never cross with you, or else there will be specific consequences, chances are they will get off their high horse pretty soon. It is easy trying to scare someone  when he is weak and  vulnerable, but difficult when he is strong and confident. In all probability, your co-workers will be the ones who will actually be scared of you, not the other way around.

4. Be the best at what you do

Being the best at your job, not only will  boost your self esteem, give you a promotion and /or a raise, but will also annoy your co-workers quite a lot, since you will prove to them that not only their bullying does not affect your job performance in the least, but it actually improves it, since it makes you fight harder to prove your worth and secure your position in the company.

5. Get along with as many people as you can

Your co-workers would love it if you did not get along with most of the other employees, as they would have more reasons to badmouth and sabotage you that way. If you manage to get along with most if not all of the other employees though (and most importantly with your own boss), not only will they be annoyed, but also scared to see you having so many people in your corner. They will think twice about trying to hurt you, after that.

Annoying your co-workers can be a pleasant experience as well as a chance to work on your self control, boost your self esteem and reach new heights.

Learn more about this author, Maria Papadopoulou.
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