Every workplace is different, but the hard people in the workplaces are always the same. These 14 challenging characters’ list by author Gary S. Topchik will help you to recognize and manage them.
Locomotives: Such people try to extract their misery from others. They generally behave nervous and hostile. They are in an authoritarian, brutal and dictatorial mood. Their favorite sentence is “either as I say or not at all”.
Solution: Do not be accepted. Tell your supervisor that this type of behavior negatively affects your business and how you want to be contacted. Be persistent against locomotives.
Perfectionists: If something is not perfect, they show negative behavior. Their standards are unrealistic, a job praised by others may not even be acceptable to them. It is possible to see some managers in such behavior. You can often find them saying “it could be better.”
Solution: Do not take what such people say too seriously. They actually suffer from their own disability, not yours. Try to work with them so that they can set more realistic goals for themselves and for others.
Sneaky Insurgents: The slightest change in the workplace bothers these people. They love the existing order, they never want it to change. However, they do not speak out in the face of a change. They fight silently. They say and support the change is good, but they do not. The old is always better for them.
Solution: The best strategy is to include these types in change. If they are part of the process or have requested a change, a sudden improvement in their behavior is observed. Also, you should show them the change gradually so that they get used to the new environment.
Non-My Businessers: These types show their negativity by not doing it, no matter how easy a job is, if it believes it is not included in the job description. They are unhappy because they feel in danger and they respond to their colleagues and supervisors in this way.
Solution: Actually, all they want is to improve themselves and come to better places. However, considering that their careers are not open, they lose their excitement towards their jobs and therefore try to do as little work as possible. Try to create training and development opportunities.
Footed newspapers: These types reflect their unhappiness by spreading rumors around. They feel important when the stories they help spread and create begin to move around and receive strong reactions from people. They believe that they have regained that control with rumors that they spread as soon as they thought they had lost control in their environment. Managers, restructuring, salaries of others, suggestions to employees of other companies, who is with whom in the company are the most favorite topics.
Solution: The best solution is to give employees real information about the company. Thus, no one will be in favor of footed newspapers.
Pessimists: Pessimists see the world as an unpleasant place. They wait for the world to fall to the tops, if not, they will do their best to destroy it. They are uncomfortable with everything, whatever you do, you cannot change their perspective. Such people are usually in this structure outside of work.
Solution: Most likely it will not be easy to change his behavior, but initially you can help him gain a few good habits instead of his existing negative habits. With some practice and support, these new behaviors will replace the old one.
Moaning: These types behave like children. If things aren’t going the way he wants, he frown, pulls back, starts his circulation and officially cries.
Solution: These types need an environment where they can get support. Someone should constantly tell him how well he does business.
Insignificant: These types never take work seriously, making their teammates’ job more difficult. The priority of the work is very low for them. It is necessary for them to spend as little time on work as possible so that they can focus more on their specific work. No job is urgent for them, any job can wait.
Solution: Clear goals, standards and expectations should be set and communicated to the non-serious. It is also necessary to monitor whether they are doing these or not.
Critics: Do you have a creative approach? Do things in different ways or bring new suggestions? Critics will find something to eat. Their mission is to oppose everything that is said. Regardless, they believe that what they say is true. Wherever they go, they find something to problem with. They will never give you positive feedback, but they will jump right into what they see your mistake. They are generally known by the following sentence: “A very bad idea.”
Solution: They love to comment negatively, but generally they don’t say anything definite about the subject. Ask them to give examples, demonstrate evidence, or ask why they oppose the issue. You must be persistent, not giving up. Tell him as gently as possible that his ideas are important and you understand his concern. In the end, he will see that it is difficult to criticize you because of the questions you ask and will leave you behind.
Sacrifices: These are the bleeding wounds of an office. They come early, go late. They do everything you want. However, because they have done this, they get angry with them, complaining about their jobs, difficult bosses and customers. They usually have an unhappy private life and they think they will get out of it by working hard. The reason they are unhappy in their work is that they think that their efforts are not appreciated enough. It is just a sentence for them: “I gave this company my whole life but nobody cares.”
Solution: You should always give positive feedback to the altruists and tell them how much you appreciate their work. Especially they like to say good words with their colleagues. You should send e-mails to praise them for their regular work and don’t forget to put the boss in cc.
Self Accusers: They usually get angry with themselves. They always see the error in their job performance, appearance, career path, socio-economic status, education, etc. They are very successful on paper, but they don’t see it that way.
Solution: You should find any strategy for these people to regain their confidence. They need a reason to activate their ego. In fact, you should find evidence that they do a good job and show it when necessary.
Scapegoat Seekers: They always load the burden on others because they never take responsibility or accept blame for their own mistakes. When they see that others are in trouble, it is not overlooked that they are relieved.
Solution: When you explain these types of errors and miscalculations with obvious examples, they will give up their behavior. Do not speak ambiguously, when you describe yourself strictly, they will not be able to look for scapegoats, they will accept the crime.
Fragile: They are very sensitive people, an unspoken sentence leads to their breaking immediately.
Solution: When you need to say something important to these people, make sure that they are not short and direct. Slowly enter the subject, do not personalize it, make sure that it fully understands you before leaving.
Detailers: We find a lot of detail in the workplace. You have done an excellent job, everyone is satisfied, but what he does will surely find a mistake. Are you brainstorming, looking for logic under every idea. He likes to focus on details, if he makes it too often and unnecessary, he is called too selective and negative.
Solution: Ask him to evaluate the whole project or task. All he has to do is learn to get away from the details and look at the whole picture.