After having worked for close to 5 years, no words can describe how disgusted I feel about a co-worker (yes a co-worker, not colleague as I see us as mere pawns on a chessboard). Sure, I may occasionally 'bitch' about colleagues but I'm never as disgusted and full of strong resentment for this character.
He started off as being very friendly to everyone around him. But he likes to conduct small talks like,"Are the people here ok? Who are those we need to watch out for? Why leh? How are the HODs etc? What time do they go home? What time do you leave school? What is his/her grade? How long did he/she take to climb to that level? What is the average bonus like? How much did you get?" etc etc. In addition, he will volunteer for 'front end high exposure' tasks like manning the registration booth during school functions so that he can get to meet and talk to VIPs. When the P is around the corner, he would smile and wave goodbye to his pupils as they leave for recess or for home. For tasks which specifically belongs to certain task-holders, he would (without consulting or discussion with these 'rightful' owners) email the whole world, (thereby pre-empting these tasks holders) sharing about what he has done and what he has prepared for the whole school / level. As he pre-empted real far ahead of everyone, it really makes the task-holders look bad and pretty much nothing to do. Even for the newly allocated LDS fund of $400 for teacher's personal upgrading expenditure, he has to email the whole world about what he have bought for the school with his money, thereby 'spoiling the market. He would also go around greeting people "brudder and sister or buddy" to display his self-emplaced popularity. He also loves to go around declaring to the whole world that his lesson observation was over and that the P was satisfied with his performance. The last straw was when he was sick but he still came to school (nothing wrong with that, really), told the P that although he's sick but he's still comes in for work and that he managed to get third position in an inter-school sports competition even though his form wasn't in tip-top condition.Honestly, I'm not jealous and neither am I jealous of those attention his tricks and antics have attracted. But I feel that he is extremely EQ-deficient. A senior and popular motherly colleague had kindly advised him to not being too much of showmanship. However he did not heed the advice and even got angry with her, sulking the whole day, not talking to anybody like a big cry baby.
Initially, I though I was being cynical and the only person I can complain to was to my girlfriend. However as days go by and more of his true colours shown, I found more peers who are on the same frequency as me. It turns out that more and more people are feeling the same thing and that they are all resentful to him as he had stepped on too many people (while attempting to go up the ladder).
Well to give him the credit, he does display some of our school's core values - Excellence (doing his very best at climbing ladders while stepping on others), Independence (solo showmanship), Love (waving and smiling at kids when the P is around), Truthfulness (when he falls sick, he will declare to the whole world in school). However, he really needs to work on the other values of graciousness (accepting criticisms and feedback from others), humility (giving others the chance of some real credit) and respect (he calls the more senior teachers by their names, even though the other old birds don't dare do that out of respect).
You may say the best policy is for me to mind my own business. But it really is a challenge to do just that when he repeatedly steps onto everyone including me. Well, I chose not to confront as I know the bugger would only sulk. He wants his SEO by next year.
As the Chinese saying goes: 司马昭之心, 路人介知. Everyone is 'on guard'.
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