Did It Work In Grade School?

If a co-worker is constantly putting you down and getting off cheap shots, chances are he or she feels threatened, according to Working Smart, a newsletter published by the National Institute of Business Management.

Working Smart says competitive peers often put others down as a way to win control or exert authority they don’t really have.

The newsletter has several suggestions for dealing with bullies - try to win them over or “agree to disagree”; answer their putdowns with a neutral question or confront them.

If possible, just avoid them.