Problem at work, need some quick advice....

A question about : Problem at work, need some quick advice....

Long story short, i've moved temporarily to a different dept, one supervised by someone who really shouldn't even be in the dept. He has no official authority, he's just the oldest, he's only there because they needed an extra pair of hands to do the simple work, he's not the sharpest tool in the box and he's lacking any technical knowledge.
I'm in there to provide technical guidance in setting up some new equipment.

This person has started playing at the dominant body language stuff (really badly and obviously), things like rearranging my workspace every evening, patting me on the back like a dog, etc etc etc.

Every time he does this, it's a concious effort not to break his wrist and bring him to his knees (martial arts training).

I'm not going to let him keep doing this, i'm not a dog, i'm far more experienced than him and i've held positions of authority in previous jobs. Coming from another dept i'm also better paid (and by not a small amount).

He's knows what he's doing, it's like he's read this stuff from somewhere, but he's not quite clever enough to be subtle about it.

I don't want to cause trouble, but this has to stop.
Speak to him? speak to his manager? speak to a much higher up manager? go straight to the MD? (we've worked together on projects)

The business is growing and i'm gradually being given more and more responsible jobs to do, project management etc..... So this issue has to be dealt with sensitively.

Best answers:

• Are you sure the problem is with him?
• Play him at his own game. Get your back patting (etc) in first.
• Next time he tries to do something dominant, whip around really quick and start humping him.
  I learnt this from my spaniel.
• Don't go over his head that will make things worse. The first thing to do is to start being assertive when he behaves in unacceptable ways. For example, "I'm really pleased you are happy with my work but please don't pat me on the back in future."
• I would challenge him as suggested by another poster. It's very passive aggressive to move things round on someone's desk. Why's he doing that? Is there anything on there which might go missing?
• I'd be cracking jokes with the rest of the team about the office poltergeist, so if he carries on moving stuff around it makes him look a bigger prat than he does now.
• I would politely ask him not to move your desk around. Maybe the patting could be dealt with by a joke, e.g. I'm not a dog you know Bob.
  It does sound a bit like you're making a mountain out of a molehill. You're not going to be in that department forever, so maybe best just to rise above it and be glad when you move onto your next task.
  I find the "Every time he does this, it's a concious effort not to break his wrist and bring him to his knees" more of a concern TBH. It does seem rather an extreme statement.
• Thing is, if OP tries to deal with this as a joke then the supervisor won't take him seriously. Assertive, adult feedback is what is required. I.e. "Bob, when you move things around on my desk it makes me feel uncomfortable. Please don't do it again". Clearly behaving aggressively towards the guy is unacceptable, no matter how inappropriate his behaviour. OP mentions he has had management roles in the past so he should have the experience to deal with this in the most appropriate way.
• Ok..... I think this is what i'm going to do.
  I'm going to see the business manager, he handles all the employee handbook related stuff and deals with general things about the place.
  I'm going to tell him that a certain individual thinks it appropriate to pat me on the back as though a pet animal. I'm going to encourage him to send out a general email, one warning against inappropriate behaviour and warning that some colleagues may not appreciate physical contact. This way, it has to stop and this way it's been dealt with indirectly without going on a witch hunt. Ordinarily I hate when people deal with stuff this way, but sometimes you just have to go against your own principles.
  The desk reorganising will be fantastic ammo for later on, I can't really go into detail, but it's like a blind person coming a long and reorganising your jigsaw puzzle. The excuses this guy has for doing this, don't stand up technically (in a technical dept) and he doesn't even know it yet, because he's literally got no technical background at all and has made the one fatal mistake that people always make with me, he's taken my quiet nature for stupidity.
• drawing pins through your shirt / jumper
  just make sure you remember to put the pins facing out.
• My old manager tried to bully the whole department, withholding bonuses and grading people down on PDR's so we got a lower payrise. Just a complete tool.
  One day he bought a new car, a few weeks later he pushed that bit too far and 7 years later his car keys are still set in concrete where i threw them when I did my garden fence.
• It is inappropriate to pat someone on the back. Just like putting an arm round someone in the workplace if they were upset.
• Must admit I do see where the OP is coming from........it's a fairly subtle form of undermining -and often deliberate -designed to wind you up til you do or say something inappropriate.
  I like the general email about inappropriate physical contact idea ....think I'd be asking other members of the team if he fiffles with everyone's desk .....it may be an OCD type thing ....but if it was ONLY my desk I'd be thinking of some creative booby trapping........ I'd go for an alarm going off -loud siren when something specific is moved or a verbal alarm ..."Arghhh that hurts get off" voice alarm -but you're an engineer you may be more creative in your boobytrap