How to deal with manipulative coworker

[MikeK]

This conversation reminds me of one employee I had to work with.  He talked the talk for a while, but became incredibly disruptive, non-productive, and actually unethical.  Once we managed to fire him he next turned up as a founder of a competing startup, with $2 million in venture funding (which is another story).  He had claimed that our company's big success was largely due to his brilliance (nothing could have been further from the truth.)  His new company quickly crashed and burned, with him literally (!) being dragged out of the building by armed guards.

On topic, after that he sent out an open letter to "the networking industry" where he blamed his many failures on other people and a general industry conspiracy against him.  The letter was broadly circulated for it's "WTF? You've got to be kidding me!" value, and it made him look like a deluded sociopath.

It sounds like he *is* a sociopath.  Blaming others for your own faults is a classic sign.  There are lots of sociopaths/psychopaths out there.  The key for the rest of us is learning how to deal with them and how not to let them mess up *our* lives.

[dastructhm]

fourfathom's replies always seem down to earth. I like the dude.

[fourfathom]

fourfathom's replies always seem down to earth. I like the dude.

Thank you!  That actually means a lot to me.  But this means it's probably a time for a disclaimer:

I've not had the typical "EE degree to engineer" career path: I started out as a non-degreed technician (actually, I started out at the age of 11 or 12, in my friend's dad's garage where we all were playing with war-surplus radios.) I progressed through the ranks as a tech, junior engineer (still no degree), engineer, lead engineer, product architect, director of engineering, Distinguished Engineer, and a few more respectable titles.  I still have no degree.

I've always worked in California, mainly 1970s to 2001 when I retired.  I've only worked at small and mid-sized companies, at least until the company was acquired, the last one acquired by Cisco.  I'm 68 now, and in my retirement have spent the last 21 years playing with electronics (and lots of other activities) and I guess considering the philosophy of engineering, obviously from my own point of view and experience.  In retrospect I have realized (or confirmed) that I *am* an engineer to my core, and will always be one.  It's been a remarkably fulfilling vocation in so many ways, and I care about it deeply.

I've never worked outside of California (other than visiting other companies and conferences).  I've hired and fired.  I've been hired and fired.  I've worked as a tech or engineer at eight different companies (not counting company name changes due to acquisitions).

So: Driver is an (un)trained professional on a closed course.  Do not attempt this at home.  Your mileage may vary. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Offer not valid outside of California.

But people are people everywhere, so I suspect that some of my comments are going to be generally helpful.