\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. There are all kinds of people who are unpleasant to be around-Debbie downers, complainers, jealous green monsters, mean-spirited snarks, and most anyone who wears neon sunglasses- but if you walk away from another person feeling worse about yourself, there's a good chance you've been dealing with a condescending person. Managers are tasked not only with identifying these individuals and their behavior but with addressing them as well. Selective deafness is always an option. Explaining Stuff You Already Know This person will explain things like they're offering you valuable knowledge. Avoid shouting or threatening your boss or you could get fired. You could say, Yeah, I totally get it how frustrating this is or Trust me, I get why this is so stressful., For example, if your boss tells you, I dont think you bothered to send the client information about the project, you could say, Ill double-check and send it over to them right now if they havent received it., If your boss directs their frustration about a company-wide problem towards you, redirect it with something like, I see how thats a problem. 8. In order to undermine another person or try to make them feel small, someone might call them a pet name such as sweetheart, sugar, darling, cupcake, sweetie, and so on. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}. To demean someone is to insult them. Be sure to read Lynnes books on how to handle tough conversations. An example of patronize is when a wealthy person funds the work of an artist. The important thing to remember is that respectful two-way conversations involve reading cues from the other person. They believe they are perfect One common problem with condescending people is that they think they are perfect and hold everyone to this benchmark. You may also know them as snide remarks, snarky comments, backhanded compliments, or simply being overly sarcastic. Consider following these steps when presented with such a scenario: 1. He also holds a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Jujitsu and trains executives and staff of corporations, NGOs, and communities in self-care, personal performance and conflict resolution. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Lets say youre in a work environment and youre assigned to be the leader or manager for a particular project. They can show up in the form of calling a co-worker sweetheart or kiddo or in over-generalizations such as youre always late. Such comments are demeaning, unpleasant to be around, and can leave coworkers feeling patronized. If this is happening regularly, point it out to the person. If your boss sends you an email that says, I need this now not later this week it really could just be that theyre in a rush and just need something quickly. Try Finding Someone to Work in Isolation for 24/7! Originally published It's up to you whether you want to apologize to Jack, but it sounds like an apology would help smooth things over with him. This is the employee that will finish the majority of your sentences. MANAGER: I can't disagree with that reasoning. However finding a respond that will both make you feel heard and confident that it wont happen again, is important. 2008 -2023 Lynne Eisaguirre | Privacy | Site Map Proudly Presented By: Learn more about our training offerings and check out our team members at: 3985 Wonderland Hill|Suite 106|Boulder, CO 80304, You may also call or write me to discuss your options at:303-216-1020 or, Newsletter Effective Online Training in Response to #metoo: Heres What You Need to Know, Newsletter Why You Need One-on-One Sensitivity Training AND Performance Management Training, What Leaders Can Learn About Retaliation From Andrew Cuomos Mistakes. Others may have heard it from those who have opposing political views or from people who make different personal life choices, such as dietary preferences or breastfeeding. Lets say someone is suffering from a debilitating headache and needs to go home from work. Finding yourself in this situation is annoying, because the other person has, for whatever reason, assumed that you don't possess the same knowledge, and sometimes emotional intelligence, they do. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it happens more often than you'd think. Nothing you do is acceptable, and you may lose yourself in pleasing them. What Is Considered Condescending Behavior? JANE: Maybe he didn't practice his presentation enough? So when people feel like someone is talking down to them, it usually has as much to do with what they say as how they say it. They might happen between family members, colleagues, friends, or complete strangersall depending on circumstance and what's going on around them. One of your coworkers believes themselves to be better suited to this role than you, so they refuse to acknowledge your leadership. They may occur within families, at school or work, between peers, or even with strangers. Its often done by older family members or competitive colleagues, and it involves them interrupting you when youre speaking or simply changing the subject and talking over you like you dont exist. Thats the entire intention, really. Just focus on being positive and relaxed. By understanding the different types of workplace behaviors employees may have, managers can help their teams increase performance and complete work tasks more effectively. Youll hear it from people who make insulting or demeaning comments. Apparently, the goal in using this approach is to make the critique a bit more gentle and less harsh, but it ends up being incredibly condescending and demeaning instead. If you pat someone's head they will invariably be forced to look up at you-in confusion or possibly an attempt to displace your hand-and then you'll find yourself in the literal predicament of "looking down on them." 9. Nathan acted as if he was superior to everyone in the room, using condescending words in every conversation. Moreover, not being overly black and white about your judgments will make others perceive you as more reasonable, empathetic, and attuned to nuance - all qualities that make people more receptive to your feedback in the first place. I dont agree with the useful comebacks suggested in this article, number 2 is probably the most useful, however the others seem quite childish. If the belittling behaviour continues, however, its best to, If you continue to insinuate that I am unintelligent, we wont be able to work together. (And then follow through on your warning.). There are countless others, and although theyll be related to those mentioned here, theyll differ depending on your situation, culture, and so on. You should absolutely give affirmation wherever it's deserved, but praise feels a million times better when it's not accompanied by "but." These are high-ranking board members, so we need to spoil them and not offer them whatever cheap crap you feed your kids after school. Allow the natural confusion or concern felt in the moment to come out in your response. When one is on the receiving end of feedback like that, one feels like a pet or a child whos being given false praise, while simultaneously being insulted. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. It's important to be direct when talking about your employee's development and growth. Once again, this is a commentary on a persons aptitude. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. EMPLOYEE 2 (Jane): Has been the best yet, they mentioned that the magazine advertisement really intrigued them and thats the part of the project that I did! This response allows you to take control of the situation, it also allows you to redirect the condescending nature of the employee. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws.