Learn from a CEO: How to work with a jerk

Some two years ago, I published a Reading Room post that discussed the problems of dealing with a boss from hell.

But it is not only a bad boss who can  make you miserable.

What about your colleagues? How do you work with a colleague who is a jerk?

Dave Kerpen tells us how. Kerpen, whose career tips I have featured in this space before, is a LinkedIn "influencer" and I have been "following" him for some time now. Today my Gmail in-box contained an alert about Kerpen's latest post, which offers, I think, sensible workplace advice.

Here are Kerpen's suggestions for making working with a jerk easier:

• Seek to understand where the jerk is coming from
• Shower the jerk with positivity
• Talk to others and consider your options

And he elaborates on each point in his post. Read it here.

• Dave Kerpen has another thought-provoking column, this one published on the Inc. website. Check it out today: "How to Get Everything You Want. Seriously."

When you're sickened by office politics...

...often the first thing you want to do is quit your job.

But you may want to do a rethink after reading what Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi has to say in Brunch, the Hindustan Times weekend magazine. "Don't quit! Just play the game" is her advice. And she explains how to do exactly that by outlining eight simple points with the help of corporate experts. Here are their tips:

1. Understand your surroundings
2. Keep your records straight
3. Play on the front foot
4. Keep up the good humour
5. Don't be part of a clique
6. Confront and communicate
7. No blame game
8. Your boss is no fool

Not surprisingly, the best advice comes from a journalist, Shalini Singh, who elaborates on Point No. 6:

Clear communication always cuts across office politics. Be transparent and back your arguments with solid facts. “Be polite, persuasive and firmly assertive when it comes to fighting for a ‘cause’. Also, if you need to clear misgivings, it is always advisable to confront the person one-on-one instead of sneaking to a senior. It bonds the team wonderfully,” says journalist Shalini Singh.

Read the article in its entirety here.

• By the way, Brunch is by far the best Sunday publication offered by any newspaper in the country. It is superbly edited, it is full of ideas, and it is beautifully designed. Hindustan Times does not have an edition in Bangalore, but I get to read Brunch every week only because it is supplied with Mint, and I'm grateful for that.