A know-it-all can be recognized by his or her arrogant, opinionated, condescending manner, his lack of humility, and his poor listening skills. His determination to come out on top of every discussion is a form of verbal bullying. He is greedy for attention and affirmation.
When challenged, he may become sarcastic, vitriolic or even start yelling. Since such behavior is not conductive to a peaceful and productive office routine, it is well to think up options for avoiding or discouraging these annoying performances. If all or even several of his colleagues agree to use similar tactics when he starts his tirades, he may begin to understand that this type of interaction with his co-workers is unacceptable.
Here are several strategies to employ:
* Avoidance. When you see him coming, turn and go in another direction. If you are cornered, quickly excuse yourself for an urgent washroom break. If he comes to your desk, explain that you're too busy to talk at present, then return to work and ignore him.
* The know-it-all feeds on conflict. Refuse to rise to the bait. At the first sign of opposition, give in. Reply casually, "Whatever you say," and return to whatever you were doing. This promptly stops him in his tracks, and robs him of the satisfaction of an argument.
* When he butts into, and tries to dominate a conversation in the staff room or at the water cooler, try to pin him down to specific details about his supposedly superior knowledge. Know-it-alls are adept at using generalities to bolster their arguments, such as "Everybody says...", and "It happens all the time...".
Challenge him to name one or two persons who actually said that, or to relate one specific occasion when the incident under discussion occurred. When he becomes flustered, leave before he turns nasty.
What's the worst that can happen? He'll avoid your company in the future. Lucky you!
* The know-it-all often manufactures details as he goes along, in order to impress those present with his knowledge. If the subject about which he is emoting is based of provable facts or technological issues, ask him to cite his sources. If he can't, ask him to look them up and get back to you, because you'd like to do further research. At least he'll be kept busy for a while.
* As a last resort, wait until the know-it-all runs out of steam and there is a brief pause in his tirade. Then, stare fixedly into his eyes for ten seconds. At the end of that time, let out a snicker, which will quickly turn into a full-blown belly laugh. In the midst of your mirth, turn on your heel and walk quickly away.
It's the ultimate insult; not only did you not appreciate his wisdom, you had the audacity to laugh at him! You may lose his companionship for the foreseeable future, but as we said before: lucky you!
Know-it-alls are tiresome, boring and annoying anywhere, but they are particularly troublesome in an office setting. Everyone has work do, and it is best accomplished in a calm, relaxed atmosphere. These characters do not contribute at all to that type of beneficial environment. They may have a negative effect on vulnerable employees' self-esteem and they will definitely waste every one's valuable time with their long-winded raving.
For the benefit of the business, the employees and even the know-it-all himself, his dreadful and detrimental behavior, especially at the office, needs to be stopped.
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