Working in a corporate world, out of the blue, you realised that one of your employees has the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder. It can be somewhat surprising when you notice that a person exhibiting narcissism at work.Â
Narcissistic employees can wreak havoc within the workspace. They refuse to acknowledge the contributions of their colleagues but instead demand recognition and respect. They interrupt conversations, monopolise group tasks and make empty promises.
Yes, narcissism can be a challenging condition to deal with in the workplace. Whether an employee has Narcissistic Personality Disorder or is just plain narcissistic, dealing with them can take its toll on those around them.
It seems like no matter how many rules or policies you have in place. The narcissistic employee knows how to get around it. It’s frustrating when you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, affecting your other employees.Â
But no fret, Ann Young, Co-Founder and CEO of Fix The Photo, with over 18 years of professional experience in a leading photo editing company with over millions of customers around the world, shared her super effective ways to knock out narcissistic employees the right way.
First off, stop hiring them
Building a company is hard. It’s even harder when you have dysfunctional employees. Narcissistic employees are so self-absorbed that they can cause chaos and dysfunction in a healthy company that gets the work done. The best way to deal with them is not to hire them in the first place, but once you’ve hired one, here are 6 ways you can try to stop the damage these people can do.
Identify if they are willing to change
The first thing to understand is if the narcissist is even willing to change. Identifying a narcissist is easier than you think. They love themselves with their virtues and have a hard time considering the idea that other people are as valuable as they are. If they are willing to change, you might be able to show them the way. If they are not, then do not waste your time and deal with them the way they are.
Make sure they know what to do (and not do)
Recognising a narcissist is one thing, but dealing with it can be another. The bottom line is that you have to tell them what to do and how to do it, or not do it at all. Narcissistic employees need to be told precisely what they want for the task to get done.
Set clear-cut goals for them, give them particular instructions on how to accomplish the task, then let them decide how they want to achieve it on their own. Narcissistic employees like being in control, so being able to determine will be fulfilling to them. And, since they love the spotlight so much, giving control of this job will be no trouble at all.
Keep them close to yourself
While it is tough to work with a self-centred employee in any organisation, you can overcome narcissism by knowing how to handle such characters. Narcissistic employees know how to gain your trust and respect at the early stage by showing their capability. The smartest and shrewdest thing you could ever do is to keep them close to yourself. It will only help you know them better instead of leaving them alone for someone else, who may not be so equipped, to handle them well.
Isolate them from other employees, as much as you can
Keep them away from other co-workers. They can negatively influence the rest of the team, and you may not even realise it’s happening.
Although it may be impossible to cut this employee off entirely from the rest of the team, you may be able to shield team members from interaction with a mentally unhinged narcissist. Set clear boundaries and explain them clearly to everyone involved. Decimation is suitable for a narcissist who refuses to relinquish control, deny an accusation or admit fault. There are no alarms or whistles at which managers need to worry about going overboard.
Create a code of conduct
Creating a code of conduct is one of the most effective ways to deal with disruptive narcissistic employees. Every employee in your organisation should sign an agreement to abide by your code of conduct, and the consequences for not doing so are clearly outlined. This creates a strong level of accountability among all employees and helps avoid unnecessary fights that may damage your workplace culture.
Keep them busy, and they’ll be Less likely to cause problems: Set deadlines
The best way to deal with a narcissist is to keep them busy. This leaves little time for mischief. Deadlines are effective with narcissists because they make others feel important while allowing the deadline setter to control. Narcissists are great at coming up with solutions to deadlines, so if you’re a team manager, promises of advancements or bonuses for hitting deadlines will negate their response of “but I can’t get it done that quickly”.
Narcissists can excel when they are given deadlines and made to meet goals. They’re far less likely to cause problems if they are kept busy with other people looking over their shoulder and evaluating their performance.
