I'm currently working on an assignment which sees me back filling a colleague for a few months.I have an issue that I'd like to ask your advice on. There is a junior consultant from my firm who seems to be trying to advance their career by making others - me in particualrly look bad. she has been on the assignment for a year or more.when we are alone she acts normally and fairly civil enough but when in front of the client or colleagues she "demands" to know why certain things haven't happened or why you haven't tried certain things to overcome issues. She is very forth right and the cleint has started to hold up meetings for her - although she adds very little except re-stating what we all already know or what has been said in the meeting, presenting it as her analysis/ideas. She also tells you to do things - one example is that she asked me if I had a particular cleint's email address, when I said I did she instructed me to send it to one of her cleint contacts. I told her that I would send it to her to forward on as I had no relation with the particualr cleint. she became incredibly indignant and started talking to a cleint brushing me off and again instructing me with more authority (which she does not have) to do as she had said. In order to safe the firms face I stopped the argument and sent the email.The cleint likes her and I have been there only a few weeks. Is this me? am I just being too sensitive? I have tried speaking to her , friendly and off the record, to her but she indignantly denys any wrongdoing. Does anyone have any advice?

This will work in Acn:1. Explain to her how performance is measured2. Give her a period of grace (say 1 week) to behave3. If 2 does not work, kill her in the laddering - she will soon want to roll off!

this has happened to me before.trust me, you can try all the professional approaches in the book and it ant going to work!She's showing no respect to you and the team and thinks can walk on people.tackle it head on asap through the proper HR/management channels and hopefully if your management likes you will get her kicked off the project.

Well thanks for the advice - I'm not sure the HR route is the way forward however, especially as there is little tangible evidence. ...and killing her is a little extreme if desirable...I took the decision today not to return to the assignmnet in the new year. It will mean losing utilisation for a month or so but it will be better in the long run. thanks anyway

You have effectively let an analyst constructively dismiss you from the project.You sound a little too timid / nice to be in consulting!Best of luck on your next project.

Confused - you can't run away every time a project gets difficult for some reason. Just be grateful this individual is not a client. Go for a coffee with her and tell her how her behaviour is making you feeling uncomfortable. If she is smart she will take the hint, if nit you need to address it higher up your internal management chain. There is a good chance she has gone native abd needs reminding who pays her wages.

Following your action, I strongly believe that it really depends if you have any real sponsorship/friends in the management team in your department?If the answer is no, then you made a good move my friend by walking away...If you do, then I would address the issue. plus, as you well know, rumours spread and people think they can walk all over you and show you lack of respect..good luck...

You should not walk away from such behaviour - you have indeed been constructively dismissed by an analyst.you said that this person 'adds very little except re-stating what we all already know or what has been said in the meeting, presenting it as her analysis/ideas'.Best way to deal with people like this? Say that in the meeting - in front of colleagues and clients: 'Thanks, but you have not added anything beyond paraphrasing what we already know' etc. One of two shots of this will end the behaviour.

There's nothing left to do other than wee in her shoes.