Top Types of Coworkers and How to Deal With Them - Punched Clocks

Top Types of Coworkers and How to Deal With Them - Punched Clocks In the world of unicorns, jackalopes and abominable snowmen, the perfect workplace exists. Unfortunately, we dont live in that world. We live in a world where every workplace â€" from the shiny offices of Fortune 500 companies, to the cramped quarters of mom-and-pop stores â€" has its share of colorful characters. Some of them are harmless and tolerable; others will make you wish they switched places with the abovementioned mythological creatures. To deal with the most common workplace characters, heres what you need to know about the 10 worst types of coworkers and how to work with all different types.   The Energy Vampire Having a great day? You better not share the juicy details with this person. See, the Energy Vampire has a knack for finding the pitch-black lining in every bright spot (Oh, you got promoted? Thats more work for you). On the flip side, if Murphy’s Law is currently wreaking havoc in your life, the E.V. will take it as an opportunity to share his words of co-misery-tion with you. Solution: Often, the E.V. just wants a listening ear. If youre in the mood for it, you can offer him that. But make it clear that youre not the best person to help him manage his problems. If youre not in the mood, say something like Sorry, I really need to work right now, and walk away.   The Passive-Aggressive P.A.s can be a major P-in-the-A, making them one of the hardest types of coworkers to deal with. If you give them a task, theyll accept it without a word. But once you catch them procrastinating, and confront them about the fact, theyll shrug it off and say: You shouldve given me something easier to do. Yeesh. Solution: Instead of You messed up the project, tell them The project isnt up to par. The first one puts the P.A. in the hot seat, which triggers a defensive reaction from them. The second one puts the spotlight on the P.A.s actions. With these people, you need to set clear consequences for failure, and enforce them when needed, without exception.   The Credit Grabber Its normal for employees to want credit for their work. However, the Credit Grabber takes this to an unbelievable level: Instead of acknowledging help from co-workers, these people go out of their way to paint projects as their idea, their execution and their golden ticket to Promotion Land. Solution: When working with a C.G., write down all the important tasks you handled, and send regular task updates to your superiors. That way, youll have a strong case when disputes about who-worked-on-what arise later. If your superior is the C.G., gently remind him or her to acknowledge you once a projects done, but find a way to inform the higher-ups about your contributions too. The Freeloader When you look at a Freeloader, you wonder a lot of things. For example: Why did the company hire this person? Is it because he’s excellent at spending 90 percent of his working hours watching YouTube videos? Or is it her unmatched ability to persuade co-workers to take on her responsibilities for her? Solution: Lay out clear expectations for work. Emphasize the importance of everyone pulling their own weight. And do not, under any circumstances, offer to do a Freeloaders work â€" not even under the threat of the Freeloaders puppy dog eyes.   The Talk Show Host This person thinks everything he or she says is an 11-out-of-10 on the interesting scale. Whether its U.S. politics, the weather, the rumored romance between the receptionist and the janitor, or the quality of the latest Game of Thrones episode, the Talk Show Host will serve it to you, slathered with a thick layer of opinion sauce. Youd probably humor them if you didnt have that 20-page report due in 15 minutes. Solution: Wear headphones while youre working. Hang a Do Not Disturb sign over your cubicle. If Jay Leno 2.0 insists on hogging your time, put your foot down and say: That sounds interesting, but Ms. Marples gonna kill me if I dont submit this report on time. The Brown Noser To say that the Brown Noser is a little too attached to the boss is to say that Gollum is a little too attached to the One Ring. If a VIP is even in the same room with the B.N., the latter nods like a creepy dashboard toy. Once the VIPs back is turned, though, the B.N. begins to spew out the venom thats been boiling inside all along. Solution: If a B.N. isnt doing anything bad, apart from annoying you with her existence, its best to ignore her. Otherwise, handle a B.N. the way youd handle a C.G.: Make a paper trail, let the boss know of your accomplishments, and calmly support your position with facts â€" rather than emotions â€" in case things turn sour later.   The Boss Theres the boss â€" and then theres the bawz. This person walks around the office as though he owns the place. As if to emphasize this fact, he constantly hovers over your shoulder, and whispers in your ear about how youre doing your job all wrong. Solution: Its tempting to say: Okay, since you know my job better than I do, why dont you finish this report for me? However, this can backfire on you, as the bawz might actually take you up on your offer. You can either ignore him, or use his self-centeredness against him: I heard the Powers-That-Be assigned you a Very Important Project. Shouldnt you be working on that right now?   The Oblivious One The Oblivious One is a good co-worker, for the most part. Its just that youd appreciate it if he stopped bringing smelly lunchboxes to his workstation. Also, his body odor really bothers you, even though youre five cubicles away from him. Solution: Talk to the O.O. in private. Be honest about whats bothering you, but avoid pinning the blame on the other person. For example, for the co-worker with the smelly lunchbox, you can say: Strong smells make me dizzy. I dont want to end up puking all over our proposal, you know? Unless the O.O. is actually a sociopathic jerk, he should get the message.   The Ninja If you had a dime for every time the Ninja talks, youd have nothing. This person doesnt speak, cause trouble, or give any indication that she’s in the office at all. The only time she flies under anyones radar is when names need to be rattled off for team building attendance. Solution: Its possible that the Ninja is, in fact, an extremely shy person. Try to include her in group conversations by asking her What do you think about? questions. If she doesnt answer, be patient; she might be surprised that anyone bothers to talk to her at all. Just make her feel safe within your group, and shell open up sooner or later.   The Workaholic This person comes to work earlier, and leaves later, than everyone else. Whenever the boss announces a new project, the Workaholic offers to spearhead it in a heartbeat. Its come to the point where every time you think of work, the first thing you imagine is this persons face. Solution: Let the Workaholic be. This persons efforts might be the reason everyone elses workloads are a little bit lighter. Just remember to ask this person out for Happy Hour; he or she is probably the one who needs it the most. What About You? Before you write off any of your coworkers as annoying wastes of human resources, try to put yourself in their shoes. When you understand where they come from, handling them will be much easier. Learning more about the situation of your colleagues could help you deal with different types of coworkers. Besides, if you see yourself in any of these 10 types of coworkers, wouldnt you want your colleagues to be nice to you too? Get everything you need to create a career you love  by signing up for the newsletter.