Personalities in the workplace

I have worked with my fair share of personalities over the years. See if you have worked with any of these types:

• The sneaky snake: This person is the type that will act uninterested in your ideas or even argue against them—but won’t hesitate to take your ideas, juggle them around slightly and present them as their own. They usually have a great smile and know just how to fool those in power who don’t need to know how things got done, just praise whomever hands in the final idea or project.

• The know-it-all: I find there tends to be a few of these and they usually clash with each other over who knows more. In many cases, the know-it-all leans heavy on their years of experience, in their mind equaling “the smartest.” It doesn’t matter if their idea is better, they have already decided themselves that there is no one else who could “understand” better than the veteran. It’s extra cute though when a few veteran employees want to battle out who has been there longer or understands the situation/program/project better than themselves.

• The smooth talker: this person could be completely full of shit, like to the brim, but man are they are a smooth talker. They usually have a slightly flirtatious approach to the opposite sex that is generally accepted as “how they are.” It’s usually hard to not like them even as you roll your eyes.
• Sally/Sam suck-up: You know the one. The group working on a project has come to a collective decision, but “Sally/Sam” wants to check with the boss first. They sliver down to the boss and determine the boss’s opinion. Then they come push that idea to the group; their nose is solid brown…
• The ghost: do they even still work here? Do they have a different work schedule that somehow starts later than the rest and finishes before the end of the day? What do they even do? It’s a mystery.

• The miserable one: Each day you see them with zero expression on their face—unless it’s disgust, exhaustion and/or misery. They aren’t hiding the fact that they’d rather watch paint dry than be doing their job. They tend to slightly snarl if other around them seem too happy or content.

• The gossiper: The one(s) who lives for work drama. It seems it’s easier to keep the focus off themselves by underhandedly spreading information about others. Hello high school! (While you may or may not secretly enjoy being in-the-know due to their nosiness.)
• The non-morning person: they usually cannot be talked to until they have had adequate caffeine, and they truly don’t think any morning is “good.”

• The morning person: Their intentions are usually pure and filled with a zest for the day — they come bounding in with a big grin and can’t wait to ask you how you are doing despite your blank face and only half-drank coffee.

• The privileged one: The one there only because of their connections. They are clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed and yet seem to not be worried about their lack of contributions. They know they will most likely be fine attempting to fly under the radar and provide mediocre work at best. Got to love nepotism–which is more than just family, it includes preferential treatment to friends and associates.
• The dreamer: this person tries their best but lost (or never fully had) passion for the job. Maybe they got a degree and found it interesting for a while—then they find themselves lost in the dream of doing what they actually enjoy and somehow making a living doing so. They feel stuck in a job that doesn’t interest them and long for retirement or winning the lottery so they can feel fulfilled with a purpose.

People usually reminisce about the different types of people in high school – the groups, the cliques…but often times it’s not all that different when you hit the workplace. I might even call it high school 2.0.