To condescend means to come down from one's superior position, to treat someone else as inferior. To be condescending is to speak or treat someone else as though you are superior or to act like you are above the person in question.

A condescending co-worker refers to the co-worker or colleague who talks and acts disrespectfully as though he or she is in a superior position or as if you're inferior to him in one way or the other. Condescending coworkers think the world of themselves and little of others and do not hesitate to show it by their actions. Consider the most noticeable characteristics of a condescending coworker.

Characteristics of a Condescending Co-worker

• Always talks down on people. 
• They are in the habit of interrupting people to make corrections. 
• They always act patronizing. They often give insulting compliments, for example; "that's amazing coming from you". 
• They constantly remind you what your job is and tell you how to do it. 
• They always feel they are right, never accept blame and never apologize. 
• They like to control your reactions and emotions by telling you to calm down or relax. 
• They like to point out the mistakes of others and gloat at every opportunity. 
• Sarcasm, snide comments, and sly remarks are always at the tip of their tongues. 
• They are constantly in your business to watch you fail, so they can say "I told you so".

As you read the above, did a colleague come to mind?

The Problem of having a Condescending Worker

A condescending co-worker can hurt one's mental health. They can cause your self-esteem to take a downward turn. Causing you to lose confidence in your ability. If you have had to work with a condescending individual you might find yourself constantly seeking their validation and feeling terrible when you do not get the approval.

For some other people, they may not lose their self-esteem but they would be in a constant battle with themselves to keep it together and to not feel small before this person. Having a condescending co-worker will also affect your productivity. Rather than aiming to please your boss, or reach your objectives, the plan would be to do things as your colleague said to avoid a swipe from your condescending co-worker. Whichever way you react to a condescending co-worker, it does take a toll on you by elevating your stress level. How can you deal with a condescending colleague?

How to Deal with a Condescending Co-worker

1. Almost all problems can be resolved with open and honest communication. Tell your co-worker how their attitude affects you. 
2. Stand up for yourself. Do this without sounding confrontational. 
3. Minimize the time spent with this individual; you do not need negative energy. 
4. Consider if there's any truth to what they say. You might want to take the message and ignore the attitude that accompanied the message. 
5. As much as possible do your best in your job and this would give them fewer reasons to gloat or be condescending.
6. As much as possible ignore them.
7. Sternly let this person know that you know and understand your job and have what it takes to accomplish it.
8. Let them know you would appreciate it if they can mind their business as you may have to report them to their superiors.
9. If you can, respond with sarcasm when they least expect it. This would throw them off course and make them think twice before taking a swipe at you some other time. 

You can read more on how to deal with condescension.

Apply these suggestions above when next you have an encounter with your condescending colleague and thank us later. Keep in mind though, that for some people their condescending attitude is a result of their insecurities and inadequacies, they try to put others down to feel better about themselves. Where possible try to know the cause of your colleague's attitude and then pick any of the suggestions above that would work just fine.

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