The 4 Colleagues You Might Recognise

Everyone who has worked in an office environment has encountered a colleague they find difficult to work with. When you work in an office, you need to mentally prepare yourself for the wide variety of work personalities you will encounter each day. Once you identify the personalities that will leave you feeling frustrated or angry, you can find a way to handle your interactions with them. Here are 4 colleagues you might recognise in your office.

The talkative one

The talkative colleague is someone you think might not have enough work to do because they are always chatting with their neighbours, or sending messages on their phone. They will chew off your ear without realising that you would like them to finish so you can concentrate on your work. This colleague is usually a very friendly person, however, which means that it can be difficult to remove yourself from the conversation because you don’t want to appear rude. This type can also be categorised as the needy one!

The one that’s always away

“Where’s John?” You have probably heard this question regarding a colleague, and sometimes it’s the same name that pops up every time the question is asked. This colleague is always late to work, regularly needs to leave hours early, takes multiple smoking breaks throughout the day, and frequently gets the flu. They are also very good at disappearing within the office, making many trips to the bathroom, break room, storage room and photocopier. And when you request for something the usual answer is that they were just about to do it! Yes, this is a type for sure.

The busy one

This colleague seems to be the busiest person in the office, and is in a constant state of frenzy because of the amount of work they need to do. They can’t make it to meetings because they are too busy, and can’t finish that task for you because they have other priorities. This colleague comes in early most mornings and stays back late every night. They may appear to be a hard-working martyr, but many times this colleague is simply bad at time management and planning their priorities.

The constant complainer

This colleague is gifted at finding something negative about every aspect of their job, projects, colleagues, operations, management and the office including water taps and toilets. This is the one person that will have problems with every solution that you will present them. Their attitude can create a negative work environment if people begin believing everything being said. Of all the above 4 types – this one I apply a very simple rule, and that is – avoid this person at all costs. Keep it minimum, keep it nice.

During your career have you encountered people with any of these 4 personalities? Share your story and strategies for working with a colleague whose personality disrupted you and your team.

For more discussions and insights from Amjad Khanche, read his next blog, The Power of Your Social Network.