Narcissists at work

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Narcissistic Personality Symptoms

grandiosity / exaggeration
fantastic thinking / romantic
believes special / unique
requires admiration
entitled / demanding
exploitive / manipulative
lacks empathy
envious / jealous
arrogant / haughty

Quick links:

How to deal with jerks etc...

Working with others is sometimes enjoyable and other times it can be trying. I have listed links to sites that give practical tips for helping you deal with difficult people and situations. Most people have narcissistic traits, but when you are dealing with a co-worker, employee or boss who has a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, you may feel like you are the one who is crazy! There is help for you, read on...

An individual's work history may provide little help in making the distinction. Highly disturbed narcissistic individuals may find extraordinary success in certain professions, such as big business, the arts, politics, the entertainment industry, athletics and televangelism field. In some cases, however, narcissistic pathology may be reflected in a superficial quality to one's professional interests, as though achievement in and acclaim are more important than mastery of the field itself.

from Psychodynamic Psychiatry in Clinical Practice / The DSM-IV Edition's comments on Cluster B Personality Disorders - Narcissistic"

"Most organizations have a serial bully. It never ceases to amaze me how one person's divisive, disordered, dysfunctional behavior can permeate the entire organization like a cancer." Tim Field

from Sam Vaknin interview in New York Press site here

What steps might a corporation take to protect itself from being ruined by this kind of narcissistic contagion?

The first—and most obvious—step is screening. Mental health management is often considered a low organizational priority—frequently with calamitous outcomes. Employees on all levels—especially the upper echelons—should be tested periodically and regularly by professional diagnosticians for personality disorders. Those who test positive should be sacked.

There is no way of containing narcissism. It is contagious—weaker people tend to emulate narcissists, stronger ones tend to adopt narcissistic behaviors in order to fend off the narcissist’s unwelcome attentions and overweening demands.

Narcissistic behavior—bullying, stalking, harassment, criminal predilections—should be proscribed and punished severely. Management should be attuned to warning signs such as a persistent and recurrent inability to get along with all coworkers; a domineering sense of entitlement; unrealistic and grandiose fantasies; requiring excessive attention; responding with rage to criticism or disagreement; excessive and destructive envy; exploitativeness; lack of empathy. Pathological narcissism rarely manifests in a first encounter—but is invariably revealed later on.

Moccoby's suggestions site

Moccoby's book: Narcissistic Leaders: Who Succeeds and Who Fails.

When one attacks you, what then? go here

skills for dealing with Narcissists here

Papers: Who's the fairest of them all?: The impact of narcissism on self- and other- rated fairness in the workplace N in the work place

MSN Narcissist group on projecting

Psychology Today article Big Egos in Business

How To Deal with the Office Drama Queen

How to deal with Difficult people : criticism, idiots, control freaks