Entitlement is the feeling that you deserve certain privileges and special treatment. While this can be a frustrating experience at work, there are ways to manage entitlement successfully.
When dealing with entitled employees, it’s essential to comprehend what drives them. Doing so will enable you to approach their behavior calmly and communicate respectfully with them.
1. Be aware of your own feelings.
Entitlement is an issue that often arises in the workplace. It can have serious repercussions for both employees and their supervisors. Fortunately, it’s possible to manage this issue and prevent it from getting out of hand.
One way to manage entitlement is being aware of your own feelings and behavior. If you feel entitled, take action to alter your habits and avoid situations which could bring you down.
People with a sense of entitlement often have an elevated self-image, value admiration and set goals based on success. This makes it difficult for them to accept that their successes do not always stem from merit or deserve.
When dealing with an entitled coworker, it’s essential to remember their attitude is driven by an underlying need for fair treatment. By digging deeper and understanding what motivates them, you may be able to influence them into behaving more rationally.
For instance, they may feel judged for something they did wrong or like their needs aren’t being met. By offering them a chance to speak and explaining why their behavior is unfair, you could potentially help curb their entitled attitude and demonstrate that they’re not alone in these struggles.
Another indication of inequality may be when individuals feel they deserve more recognition than other members of the team. If you observe this happening in your organization, take steps to cultivate a culture of fairness and equality within it.
You can collaborate with your manager to provide constructive criticism and assess their progress, helping them identify areas of strength and weakness and ensure they are meeting expectations.
It’s common for entitled employees to feel they are owed special treatment or privileges, but it’s essential for you to remember these can be earned. Rewarding them without cause could lead to resentment in the future.
Additionally, being a team player in the workplace is paramount for success. When an entitled person only focuses on themselves and their own accomplishments, they won’t be as efficient or contented with their job – leading to breakdown of team dynamics and lack of trust between members.
2. Don’t be afraid to say no.
Many people struggle with the skill of saying no. While it can be challenging to decline a request or project when you’re overwhelmed with work and other commitments, being able to say no is essential for personal wellbeing.
If you find yourself frequently accepting extra responsibilities, take some time to carefully consider whether the opportunity will benefit you in any way. Ask about deadlines, what it means for your job and if there are any potential benefits.
Karen Dillon, author of Work Smarter, Not Harder, emphasizes the importance of being honest with colleagues. Doing this can help you avoid taking on more than you can handle and give someone else a chance to step in when necessary.
When invited out on an activity that doesn’t fit your schedule, try your best to remain accommodating. For instance, if the idea of going out with friends but the loud bars don’t appeal to you, suggest another activity instead – like getting coffee or having a chat!
Email or text requests might be easier to decline, but saying no in person when faced with an urgent situation can be more challenging. That’s why practicing your responses beforehand can be so helpful.
Finally, if you find it hard to say no, assertiveness is still a wise strategy. It demonstrates your boss that you’re an upstanding member of their team and value their respect.
Finally, if you’re afraid to say no to an unreasonable boss or coworker, remember that they can be just as unreasonable in a social setting. Furthermore, working for an entitled boss may actually have negative effects on both mental and physical wellbeing.
Though saying no to an unreasonable boss can be a difficult step, it’s essential for your wellbeing and happiness. Stressed out or distressed by their behaviour will negatively affect both productivity and relationships with others; making you less productive and resentful of any demands placed upon you. It will also negatively impact how well-organized and organized your workspace becomes.
3. Don’t get caught up in arguing.
Although disagreements happen at work, no one enjoys having a heated argument at work. Not only can this have an adverse effect on productivity, but if you aren’t prepared it may be difficult to move past an argument quickly.
It’s essential to remember that the purpose of an argument is to discuss a topic and reach an understanding, not be confrontational. The only way to ensure this occurs is by listening carefully and presenting both sides fairly.
Before beginning an argument, make sure all facts are presented. Doing this can help avoid embellishing details or fabricating lies which could negatively affect your case.
Once you’re engaged in an argument, it can be easy to get emotionally invested and lose your temper. Unfortunately, this strategy rarely works and may ultimately end up costing you the battle.
Be mindful not to make your argument a personal attack on the other person. Doing so only serves to fuel their anger and make reaching an agreement much harder.
Instead, take a moment to breathe and decompress. Doing so will enable you to remain composed and focused throughout the remainder of the conversation.
Once you understand each other’s perspective and any proposed solutions, taking time to discuss them helps not only come up with better options but also improve communication and reduce tension between you two.
Working remotely can make it especially challenging to remain composed during an argument, as you lack access to nonverbal cues that indicate someone else’s emotions.
Before beginning an argument, it’s wise to practice your argument so you have a concrete plan of how it will be delivered. Doing this will help keep you calm and composed during heated exchanges and make the conversation much more productive overall.
4. Call them out with respect.
Entitlements can be a difficult obstacle to navigate, particularly when the entitled individual also happens to be your boss. They’re constantly striving for advancement and believe they deserve more than you did – creating an intimidating situation for any manager.
The key is to confront them with respect. That can be as straightforward as acknowledging your concern for their behavior and offering to have a meaningful conversation about it.
It can also be as complex as having a conversation with your team about their experiences. This provides an excellent chance to gain insight into each other’s cultural backgrounds and ensure everyone on your team shares similar perspectives when it comes to diversity.
Utilizing a white board or interactive video to share stories from other team members can be another effective way to engage your audience and demonstrate your value for them. While it may not be the fastest or most efficient approach, it could prove the most meaningful.
Experts advise that in addition to the above suggestions, you can also help your colleagues manage entitlement by calling attention to what’s obvious. For instance, if one of your employees keeps repeating the most important things to do, then it might be beneficial for you to inform them that this is a cliche.
You can also inquire if other staff have had similar experiences to your employee and see if they can offer advice or bring in other colleagues with more expertise. It is best to do this as soon as you suspect there might be an issue.
