Dear vidalevi:

My input: If he disrespects you personally or if he disrespects another person in your presence, a woman perhaps, then assert yourself: tell him that what he just said is wrong, hurtful, to you or to the woman present. If he achieves something professionally, he has lots of people praising him already, you don’t need to join the crowd praising him.

So if he is not abusing you or someone in your presence then don’t praise him, flatter him, smile at him – all this is not genuine on your part. Simply express nothing to him.

If a woman complains to you about him outside his presence, suggest that she asserts herself with him. Talking about him otherwise is gossip and is not a good practice at work or elsewhere.

anita