That Difficult Coworker is Just a Character in Your Success Story with Tessa West

In this episode of The WorkWell Podcast™, Jen Fisher speaks with Dr. Tessa West, Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of "Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them" and "Job Therapy: A Psychologist's Guide to Finding Your Most Fulfilling Job Yet." Her research reveals surprising patterns about difficult workplace relationships and career satisfaction.

Episode Highlights:

• The five types of workplace jerks: Kiss Up/Kick Downers, Credit Stealers, Free Riders, Bulldozers, and Gaslighters
• Why gaslighters are the most psychologically damaging but also the rarest type of workplace jerk
• How to strategically document and address problematic workplace behavior without making it personal
• Why confronting office jerks alone is often the biggest mistake people make
• The surprising truth about "toxic rockstars" and whether you really have to put up with them
• The five sources of career frustration: identity crisis, drifted apart, stretched too thin, runner-up, and underappreciated star
• Why "follow your passion" is terrible career advice and what to focus on instead
• How to use the Working Week Audit to identify your true workplace stressors
• A fresh perspective on work-life balance as psychological integration rather than time management

Quotable Moment:

"We all are jerks. When we're tired, when we're stressed, when we're overwhelmed, we probably all got to know this person pretty well during the pandemic. Learn to identify what your inner jerk is and start looking for those red flags, and you'll be a better person for it." - Tessa West

Lyra Lens:
In this edition, Keren Wasserman, Senior Manager of Organizational Development at Lyra Health, explores how workplace jerks thrive by manipulating systems - and how understanding those systems is key to overcoming them. She highlights that when we take back our power through actions like building connections and amplifying other voices, "we not only shift the power dynamics, but also improve the quality of the work itself." Keren also connects Tessa's job-person fit framework with burnout research, offering a workplace version of the Serenity Prayer to help us recognize "our needs and what we can change about our environment.

Resources:

This episode of The WorkWell Podcast™ is made possible by Lyra Health, a premier global workforce mental health solution. Learn more at Lyrahealth.com/workwell.