5 Signs You're The Jerk At Work

praetorianphoto via Getty Images There are telltale signs you're a jerk that is unpleasant to work with. People have a hard time confronting jerks, and in a lot of places, it’s non-normative to give people negative feedback they don’t ask for,” said Tessa West, an associate professor of psychology at New York University and author of “Jerks At Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them.” “There’s a temptation to compensate for jerks instead of confronting them,” she said, “making it especially hard for people to see themselves as the source.” If you’re wondering how people really feel about you, you need to look inward. “The telltale sign that you’re a jerk often isn’t how people treat you, it’s how others on your team start treating each other,” West said. “If, in meetings, you bring up points or make a case, and it’s often met with silence, you might be the jerk,” Gallaher said. “The tone of voice you used, the type of feedback you gave, the time it took you to turn something around, the amount of work you’ve done on last week’s part of a team project — feedback on specific, small, and recent events will get you one step closer to seeing how others see you at work.“ Gallaher said it helps to make it as easy as possible for your colleague to open up by making your request specific.