Everyone wishes to have decent work that can help them be fulfilled. If you are the kind of person who values your job much, you would really give your best to it, right? However, not everyone likes this. Some hate it when colleagues perform better than them. So, do not be surprised if a coworker is threatened by you.
Being an excellent employee has its perks but comes with some disadvantages. One is being the target of jealousy in the workplace. While some colleagues will be genuinely happy about your progress, others fear your talents and skills will outshine them. For this reason, expect them to be less friendly.
Keep reading to find out the signs that your coworker sees you as a threat:
Wanting to See You Fail
1. They Do Not Effectively Communicate with You.
The first sign that some people in your workplace do not like you is avoidance. They will ignore you, even your attempts to communicate for work purposes. For instance, they do not respond to your calls or emails. In case they do, it is already late. This is really annoying since avoidance can cause communication problems, which can result in work issues.
2. They Keep Important Information from You.
Because communication with an envious is limited, they will no longer actively share work-related information with you, which is essential for a high-performing team. It’s easy to see how a situation like this could quickly devolve into a disastrously counter-productive situation.
3. They Watch Your Every Move
Micromanaging you is one way your coworker may feel in charge of the situation. This implies that they closely monitor your work and give you commands concerning what to do, although you’re doing fine without their help.
4. They Constantly Criticize Your Work.
A threatened colleague will be quick to attack your performance at work. They might very well do this behind your back or in public. The criticism can be either direct or indirect. In either case, the goal is precisely the same: to feel good by making you feel bad.
5. They Refuse to Assist You When You Need It.
Whenever you encounter a problem at work, the intimidated colleague will refuse to help you. They will, in fact, be quick to call you out for the error. They could have been waiting for this chance to humiliate for a long time. In short, they actually like that you fail.
6. They Assign You to the Least Important Tasks.
If this insecure colleague has the power to give assignments to the team, expect that you will be given menial responsibilities. It is not because they want your life to be easy but because they do not want you to shine.
Trying to Sabotage You
7. They Will Steal the Credit from You.
If your coworker is threatened by you, do not expect them to give you credit for your performance. It is not surprising that they will not acknowledge your efforts, accomplishments, and even contributions to the team’s success. They hate to be outshined, so they will do everything to get all the appreciation.
8. They Gather Complaints Against You.
You may receive word that complaints have been leveled against you. It could be worse if the accusations were made anonymously, as you would be unable to confront your accuser.
9. They are Skeptical of Your Abilities.
Your colleague may say things like, “how did you get hired?” and “where did you get those foolish ideas?” Also, you hear that they undermine your educational background and work performance from your past jobs.
10. They Always Disagree with Your Proposals.
One sign that your colleague does not like you is how they always disagree with you. Your ideas are always rejected, and no explanation can change their minds. It is not about how good your ideas are, but it is all about their bias.
11. They Cast Doubt on Your Authority.
Your colleague may target this area if you are involved in a decision-making procedure at work. They may ask questions such as who gave you permission to make decisions or why they should follow you.
12. They Attempt to Embarrass You.
When someone is afraid of you, they may attempt to humiliate you in front of everyone. They may do so by drawing attention to your errors or making a mockery of your work, even if it is unnecessary. They may also attempt to make you appear stupid in front of others. For example, they may pretend they don’t understand what you’ve said.
Going More Personal
13. They See You as a Competitor.
Can you feel that your colleague treats you as a rival? If yes, it means that your abilities and skills are likely to be a threat to them. This is because competitive people usually have low self-esteem and are insecure. They want to outperform everyone else to feel better about themselves. Ignoring this kind of person until they overcome their envy and insecurity issues is the best way of dealing with them.
14. They Gossip Much About You.
They spread rumors about you. People who are intimidated by their workmates will frequently gossip about them to feel superior and win people over to their side. They might fabricate stories about you too. These can be professional or personal in nature, but they typically include a negative trait that makes them sound to be a better person.
15. They Either Exclude or Ignore You.
A coworker threatened by you might act as if you don’t exist. You don’t have to talk all the time, but they should not consistently ignore you, right? When they invite everyone in the office for dinner but you, it hints that they do not want to do anything with you.
16. They Easily Lose their Temper with You.
Your coworker may lose their cool around you now and then. Know that anger is usually the result of fear. In their case, it could be the fear of losing recognition and value in the company. Your coworker worries that you are outperforming them, which makes them angry.
17. They are Often Rude to You.
You may encounter some undeserved rudeness. Your workmate is no longer putting on a friendly face in front of you. When they see you, they may no longer greet you. Or when you say something, you may observe them rolling their eyes when they think you do not see.
18. They Never Invite You to Social Events.
When you are not invited to one’s social gathering, it means you are not considered a friend. Thus, if this colleague loves to invite everyone in the office but you to coffee or lunch, it is easy to understand. You are not their favorite.
Dealing with Them
Working with jealous coworkers is never fun, especially if they treat you poorly. Nevertheless, try to empathize even if it’s difficult when someone isn’t kind to you. It may be simpler to grasp why your colleagues are acting this way if you realize where they are coming from.
However, you should be aware that you should not accept abuse simply because your coworkers are jealous. So, you better firmly express your precise expectations. Speak up that you understand their dislike for you, but still, you expect them to respect you and play fair.
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