People Who Do 6 Performative & Try-Hard Things At Work Make Life Way Harder For Their Co-Workers
PeopleImages | Shutterstock There are people who work hard, and then there are people who need everyone to know they're working hard. The problem is performative, and try-hard employees make the workplace miserable for their co-workers.
The workplace is competitive enough, but when someone tries to become the boss's pet, everything gets that much worse. When that person constantly performs productivity or loyalty, other people can start feeling pressure they never agreed to. Suddenly not volunteering for extra work makes you look less ambitious, and doing your job quietly somehow doesn't seem like enough anymore.
Performative and try-hard behaviors at work that co-workers hate:
1. Colleagues who announce how busy they are
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Some people at work seem to have a need to brag about how busy they are. They're always overwhelmed. Of course, most jobs really are overwhelming. The problem for most co-workers is when being busy becomes part of someone's identity.
Co-workers may struggle to tell the difference between someone who genuinely needs a moment to vent and someone who simply wants their workload noticed. It can also make ordinary productivity feel inadequate.
A person who finishes their work efficiently may look less dedicated simply because they're not visibly struggling, but being overwhelmed isn't proof that someone is doing a better job. It actually means their workload needs to be managed differently. A healthy workplace should measure results, not how exhausted someone looks while producing them.
2. They volunteer for everything, then make everyone hear about it
Co-workers who willingly pitch in are incredibly valuable. There's a difference when you're only helping because you want everyone to notice, however.
It's especially annoying when they mention how much extra work they've been carrying after making a big deal out of offering to help. This can create confusion about responsibilities.
If one person repeatedly jumps in before anyone else, co-workers may stop knowing who is actually responsible for what. They may even feel like they have to compete with that person's eagerness just to be seen as engaged.
3. They copy the boss's personality to get ahead
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There's something particularly uncomfortable about watching a co-worker start mirroring their boss's personality in an effort to kiss up. This goes well beyond simply being friendly.
If one employee immediately agrees with everything management says, other co-workers may become less comfortable offering a different perspective. A team needs people who can respectfully decline or offer different approaches and perspectives.
4. They announce every accomplishment
Some people seem incapable of accomplishing anything quietly. They finish a project and immediately announce it because they want the boss to know.
Most people wouldn't complain if that happened occasionally, of course. It becomes an issue when it starts to diminish other people's accomplishments.
5. They make everything unnecessarily complicated to look impressive
Somehow, the more complicated it becomes, the more substantial their contribution appears. This can be incredibly frustrating for co-workers because it adds friction where none was necessary. The work expands, but the deadline stays the same.
A person who understands their work can usually simplify it efficiently. The problem is that efficiency isn't flashy.
6. They overwork themselves in ways that pressure everyone else
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Someone who has an unhealthy work-life balance and uses it as a means to get ahead messes things up for everyone else. Suddenly, someone who leaves at five or takes an actual vacation starts to feel guilty when they have absolutely no reason to.
Eventually, people may start working around the clock simply because they don't want to be perceived as less dedicated. That's how a culture of overwork can develop without anyone formally announcing it.
MeShanda Deason is a writer with a BFA in Creative Writing from Stephen F. Austin State University and minors in Business Communication and Literature who covers storytelling, culture, identity, and human connection across editorial, journalism, and marketing spaces.
