{"id":20804,"date":"2025-07-03T15:18:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/?p=20804"},"modified":"2025-07-03T15:18:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:18:56","slug":"surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control","title":{"rendered":"Surviving Bernard: A Tale of Bombastic Side-Eyes and Self-Control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Winning the Real Office War: Professionalism in the Face of Petty<strong><br><\/strong><em>Because sometimes the real office war isn\u2019t about work\u2014it\u2019s about surviving your seatmate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve ever worked in a Ghanaian office, you know this truth: there\u2019s always one person who tests your self-control more than your deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Efua, that person was Bernard Owusu, the <em>self-proclaimed king of &#8220;I was just about to do it&#8221;<\/em>, a man who could drain the joy out of a Monday morning with just one loud \u201cGood moooorning\u2026, team!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Setup.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Efua was calm. Efficient. A bit reserved. She came to work, did her job, avoided drama, and left right after saying &#8220;Good evening, boss&#8221; (whether the boss heard or not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bernard was&#8230; everything she wasn&#8217;t.<br>Loud. Overconfident. Late with work but early to join every office gossip session. He once spilt Coke on the shared printer and blamed it on \u201cnetwork issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when HR paired them on the Q3 Internal Operations Review Committee, she thought, <em>\u201cThis must be a spiritual attack.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their first interaction set the tone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Efua<\/strong>: \u201cLet\u2019s divide the slides. I&#8217;ll handle the analysis.\u201d<br><strong>Bernard<\/strong>: \u201cCool. I\u2019ll just \u2018supervise the storytelling angle.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Translation: he wasn\u2019t planning to do much.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Clashes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He chewed gum like it was personal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>She sent structured emails; he replied with voice notes. I guess you can relate, recalling that coworker who responds to every email via Slack! It just does not make sense!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During a presentation prep, he whispered, <em>\u201cLet\u2019s freestyle.\u201d<\/em> She nearly resigned on the spot.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The tension was building, and the office noticed.<br>People started betting on how long Efua would last before snapping.<br>Even the receptionist stopped saying \u201cgood morning\u201d when the two walked in together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20805\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-770x514.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bombastic-sideeye-390x260.jpg 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But Efua wasn\u2019t giving them the show they expected. Not because she wasn\u2019t tempted, but because she knew something Bernard didn\u2019t:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In every workplace, there\u2019s always someone watching. And not everyone who\u2019s loud is being heard.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Turning Point.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One Thursday evening, Efua stayed late to tidy the deck (again). As she packed her bag, she overheard two junior colleagues talking near the pantry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I respect Efua. Bernard is too much, but she never reacts. She just gets things done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It stopped her cold. She realized: <em>She wasn\u2019t just surviving Bernard. She was setting a standard.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Silent Strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next day, she walked in, greeted Bernard calmly, and handed him a printed list of tasks with checkboxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re presenting next week. These are the sections. Kindly review and update your parts by Monday. Let me know if you need clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No emotion. No sarcasm. Just structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Surprisingly, he complied. No excuses. No jokes. For the first time, he showed up. Perhaps embarrassed. Perhaps impressed. Or maybe&#8230; just outplayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They presented. The bosses were impressed. Their team lead clapped twice. And Bernard? He mumbled afterwards, <em>\u201cYou dey handle things well, chale.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Efua smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not because they were friends.<br>But because professionalism won, without a shouting match, without pettiness, and without compromising her peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f9c46c5b4a9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f9c46c5b4a9\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#Moral_of_the_Story\" >Moral of the Story:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#1_Your_Reputation_Outlives_the_Conflict\" >1. Your Reputation Outlives the Conflict<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#2_Teamwork_Isnt_About_Friendship-Its_About_Results\" >2. Teamwork Isn\u2019t About Friendship-It\u2019s About Results<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#3_It_Protects_Your_Mental_and_Emotional_Energy\" >3. It Protects Your Mental and Emotional Energy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#4_Leadership_Takes_Note_of_How_You_Handle_Pressure\" >4. Leadership Takes Note of How You Handle Pressure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control\/#5_You_Never_Know_Who_Might_Be_Key_to_Your_Next_Opportunity\" >5. You Never Know Who Might Be Key to Your Next Opportunity<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-moral-of-the-story\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moral_of_the_Story\"><\/span>Moral of the Story:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Ghanaian workplace, you may not always work with people you like.<br>But you can always choose how you respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Respect the work. Protect your energy.<br>And remember: Professionalism is louder than petty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are 5 compelling reasons to stay professional at work even when you don&#8217;t like your colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-your-reputation-outlives-the-conflict\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Your_Reputation_Outlives_the_Conflict\"><\/span>1. Your Reputation Outlives the Conflict<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your attitude at work is part of your <a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/five-reasons-why-personal-branding-plays-a-role-in-career-success\">professional brand<\/a>. Staying respectful, focused, and composed, even in challenging situations, demonstrates emotional intelligence and maturity. People may forget who annoyed you, but they\u2019ll remember how you handled it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-teamwork-isn-t-about-friendship-it-s-about-results\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Teamwork_Isnt_About_Friendship-Its_About_Results\"><\/span>2. Teamwork Isn\u2019t About Friendship-It\u2019s About Results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t have to like everyone to deliver great work. Professionalism helps you focus on shared goals rather than personal preferences. At the end of the day, your ability to collaborate effectively matters more than your feelings toward a colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-it-protects-your-mental-and-emotional-energy\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_It_Protects_Your_Mental_and_Emotional_Energy\"><\/span>3. It Protects Your Mental and Emotional Energy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Engaging in office drama or letting dislike dictate your behaviour is draining. Professionalism helps you set boundaries, manage stress, and focus on what truly matters\u2014your performance, growth, and overall well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-leadership-takes-note-of-how-you-handle-pressure\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Leadership_Takes_Note_of_How_You_Handle_Pressure\"><\/span>4. Leadership Takes Note of How You Handle Pressure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the hallmarks of leadership potential is the ability to remain composed under pressure. By staying professional despite personality clashes, you demonstrate readiness for bigger responsibilities and build trust with management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-you-never-know-who-might-be-key-to-your-next-opportunity\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_You_Never_Know_Who_Might_Be_Key_to_Your_Next_Opportunity\"><\/span>5. You Never Know Who Might Be Key to Your Next Opportunity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Today\u2019s difficult colleague might be tomorrow\u2019s gatekeeper to a project, referral, or recommendation. Maintaining a civil and professional demeanour ensures that you never close doors that might later open unexpectedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><br><\/strong>You\u2019re not being fake, you\u2019re being focused. In the workplace, professionalism isn\u2019t about pretending to like everyone; it\u2019s about protecting your purpose, building trust, and rising above distractions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One Thursday evening, Efua stayed late to tidy the deck (again). As she packed her bag, she overheard two junior colleagues talking near the pantry:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":20807,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1116],"tags":[1739,1968,1967,1966],"content_author":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-20804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-career-development","8":"category-life-at-work","9":"tag-office-buzz","10":"tag-professionalism","11":"tag-self-control","12":"tag-surviving-bernard-a-tale-of-bombastic-side-eyes-and-self-control"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20804"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=20804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}