The workplace is one of the most complex places on earth. This is because while we can exert control over who we interact with in other places, we may not have that power in the office. More often than not and contrary to our wish, we may be teamed with a partner(s) whose sole ambition may be to get us furious, delay the progress of our work, and at the end make us look incompetent at completing simple tasks.
How often have you felt like yelling at your partner, but you chose to keep calm and pretended everything was okay? Or at that senior colleague who keeps procrastinating and has not signed the slip you left in his office for days? Or perhaps at your boss who barely keeps to his word? You have promised yourself over and over that you would never work with such people again, but you keep finding yourself among them.
The bitter truth is these people are everywhere. You cannot hide from them nor can you say you quit from your job because one or two persons are proving too hot for you to handle. The solution is not in quitting. It is in equipping yourself with the right knowledge and skills to manage their qualities effectively to achieve your goals.
Let us start by assessing the 7 major kinds of persons we will meet at the workplace.
1. The Super-nice
This person is calm, agreeable and likes to think things through, making the job a bit longer to get accomplished. They are quick to agree with your decisions because they seek your approval but when it is time to take action, they disappear. They may need help in making decisions, but once they get the job completed, it is usually with fewer flaws.
2. The Fault Finder
When you see someone who likes to blame others over situations they themselves do not understand, know you have found a fault finder. This person points out an obvious truth – there is a problem- but really does nothing to solve it. While others move about to find a solution, he keeps finding flaws in their suggestions. They are pessimistic, but we should not let their opinions weigh us down from achieving our goals.
3. The Quiet
This person suffers from low self esteem and may rarely contribute to discussions, though he may have the most powerful ideas. We tend to ignore him and place more attention on the outspoken personalities. Try to get him out of his shell and you will be amazed at the brilliant ideas he would proffer.
4. The Result-Driven
He focuses more on the immediate result, and not on the whole picture. His goal is to get the present job done, no matter the consequences in the future. Though he feels he is doing a great job, he loses on other aspects of the job. He is more useful in straightforward jobs and not those that require extra creativity.
5. The Anti-Social
He is a loner, believes only in getting the job done and does not get involved in the Company’s social activities or interacting with co-workers. He does not believe in team work and make excuses like “Nobody told me…”, “I did not know…”. Though he may be a diamond in the rough, his influence is not felt because his expectations are far from the team’s.
6. The Know-It-All
The Know-It-All may want to make you feel silly intentionally, especially when you try to argue with them. They oppose differing opinions and are not ready to change. They may be aggressive and take decisions quickly and firmly. If you want to deal with them, you have to get your facts straight or else they will dismiss you and make your ideas feel inferior. Don’t attack their suggestions, only provide alternatives like “Would you try to explain further?”
7. The Touchy
This person is very nice and pleasant to work with, only if you know how to manage his emotions. He is very sensitive to any kind of confrontation and can be easily hurt. Though he does not like making decisions, he is faithful to his duties and takes his job seriously especially when he is emotionally attached.
Now that we have identified the types of personalities at the workplace, what suggestions do you have on how to manage them effectively? Kindly leave your opinions in the comments section below. Cheers!
