Do you have a colleague who says one thing and does another? A boss who micromanages everything? Someone who should be your mentor but seems set on destroying your confidence?
Inspired by the popular Big Think+ video featuring Harvard Business Review’s Amy Gallo, this engaging 90-minute lesson explores “The 3 most difficult types of coworkers and how to deal with them.” Students will discover the eight archetypes of difficult colleagues, with a special focus on the passive-aggressive peer, the insecure boss, and the tormentor (affectionately compared to Darth Vader himself!).
Through a series of carefully scaffolded tasks, students will:
- Discuss their own experiences with difficult coworkers
- Learn and practice 13 essential workplace phrasal verbs (get along with, put up with, look down on, butter up, zone out, and more)
- Expand their vocabulary with key terms like detrimental, archetype, undermine, and conflict-averse
- Develop viewing comprehension skills through three focused video-watching tasks
- Analyze specific strategies for dealing with each difficult archetype
- Practice giving advice using modal verbs and phrasal verbs
- Engage in meaningful discussion about workplace relationships and conflict resolution
“When someone is behaving passive-aggressively, recognize that they’re probably not doing it on purpose – chances are they’re afraid of something.” – Amy Gallo
Give your students the tools to survive – and thrive – alongside even the most difficult colleagues.
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Teach English through real workplace drama – difficult coworkers, smart strategies, and survival skills!
