So Your Co-worker Is A Steamroller

The steamroller.  The one who never seems to consider what anyone else on the team wants or feels is right.  The one who is convinced of the rightness of his opinion or proposal and then rolls right over anyone who gets in the way.

When faced with a steamrolling employee, many co-workers simply lie down and let the steamrolling begin.  It is so much easier and less time-consuming, but it is also so much less risky than standing up to them.

The problem with this approach is two-fold.

1. The behavior continues unabated, leaving everyone feeling vulnerable.
2. Team morale steadily erodes to the point where the team can become non-functional.

Approaches. There are a couple of ways to deal with a steamrolling co-worker.

1. Label the behavior in a non-accusatory way.  For example: “John, when you disregard what the rest of us on the team have said, it really shuts me down.  And I know that isn’t what you want, is it?  What you are proposing has a lot of merit, but we really need to take into consideration what the rest of us believe.”
2. If the team has tried to address the steamrolling behavior without success, then it is time to move up the ladder and address it with a supervisor who has more authority.

Early and Often. The key is to not let the behavior continue to the point where it is seriously detracting from the team’s effectiveness.  Addressing it early and often will usually help bring it to an end.