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Conceited Coworkers
By Don Tyler, management consultant

Q: There are two employees here who think they know everything. It doesn’t matter what the boss does, they would have done it better. If there is a problem, they say it wouldn’t have happened if they were running this place. They brag to us all the time but never say anything to the boss. We’re tired of it, but what can we do?”

A: There were two assistant managers at a hog unit who acted the same way. They went to the owner and told him how much better they could manage production — that the guy who was the manager didn’t know what he was doing. After a few months, the manager decided to take a job at another operation.

After hearing these two young assistant managers brag about how much better they could run the place, the owner decided to give them their big chance and made them co-managers. They were elated. They divided up the management responsibilities and changed programs that had been in place for years, confident of their superior oversight and problem-solving skills. So, what happened?

Suffice it to say that within six weeks they were at each other’s throats. They blamed each other for the employees who had gotten mad at them and left. They complained to the owner about each other’s mistakes, disagreed on every decision — and production went down about 10 percent. One finally told the owner that he found a better job close by, and the other one left shortly thereafter, as well.

Back to your dilemma: Challenge these coworkers to take their ideas directly to the boss. Say to them, “That sounds interesting — go tell the boss and see what he thinks.”

It’s easy being a critic.  Critics don’t have to prove themselves; they just go from one to the next, complaining and trumpeting their exaggerated abilities. Braggarts tend to self-destruct, but in the meanwhile, challenge them to give their superior abilities a try.

As for the two co-managers that went where the grass was greener, they both wanted their old jobs back after two months. 

If you have questions for Dear Boss, send them to:

Don Tyler, P.O. Box 67, Stockwell, IN47983or e-mail to don@dontyler.com.

Your letter will remain confidential, and may or may not get an individual reply.