The workplace is a wild zoo of personalities, but now the commercial property experts at LondonOffices.com have compiled a new list of the ten types of people we’re most likely to share an office with – so which one are you?
1 The Brown Noser
These shameless sycophants might suck up to management in the hope of a pay rise or promotion, or maybe they’re quick to scoop new recruits under their wing in the hope of enrolling them as a new skivvy. If they’re always offering to get the boss his or her lunch and coffee or they consistently shower your most successful colleagues with nauseating compliments and praise, you’ve got a Brown Noser on your hands.
2 The Gossip
Evolved from a history of gossiping in the classroom and on the playground, their behaviour has now transferred to the office, and it’s just as unpleasant now as it was back in school. “Did you know – ” and “Have you heard – ” are phrases that often fall from The Gossip’s mouth, but it’s easy to get swept up in the stories and tales once you’ve involved yourself, so just stay away.
3 The Overcommitted One
Overcommitted colleagues aren’t the worst to have around, but their behaviour can create a number of problems. They’re the first in the office and the last one out, they always eat their lunch at their desk, they’re always the one to volunteer to take on extra work and you can guarantee they’ll be the ones bringing cakes and treats to every meeting. But, because they’re incapable of ever saying ‘no’ they may also be manipulative and uber-controlling. Plus, it can draw attention to the fact you’re not putting in 110% like them.
4 The Antisocial One
Socialising with your colleagues outside the confines of the office isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but at least some effort should be put in to get to know the people you’re working with. Antisocial office workers are easy to pick out as they’re always absent from the lunchroom, office parties and after work drinks. Maybe they’re socially awkward or they just enjoy their own company? Either way, it’s best to just leave them to it.
5 The Chatterbox
Whilst having regular chats with your colleagues is a usual and expected part of office life, constant chit-chat can kill productivity and induce major headaches. The chatterbox is an expert in procrastination, often distracting their colleagues with their non-stop annoying behaviour. Simply put, the chatterbox comes to work to have a good natter. They can be nice to have around though – sidle up to the chatterbox at an office party and you’re in for an easy ride.
6 The Stress Pot
Stress pots are likely to be highly organised, so can be good to work with, but they’re also incredibly volatile people and their level of organisation can often drift into the ‘control freak’ zone. The tiniest set back means the end of the world as they know it, and they absolutely cannot deal with any form of pressure without having periodic meltdowns.
7 The Clown
Office clowns are a bit like Marmite – you either love them or hate them. They’re great to be around on stressful days when deadlines are looming, as they can break the ice and liven up dull meetings. They’re also the perfect antidote for morbid Monday mornings when the office vibe is generally low. But at their worst, they may not know when to stop joking and take things seriously, or they might not actually be as funny as they think they are.
8 The Skiver/Procrastinator
Do you have a colleague that pulls just one too many ‘sickies’ for it to be believable? Maybe there’s someone in your team who everyone knows just isn’t pulling his or her weight? When they’re actually in the office and not nursing “a bad case of flu” that you all know is actually just a hangover, they’re probably more pre-occupied with checking their social media profiles than any tasks at hand. Skivers and procrastinators are possibly the most infuriating type of person to work with and it’s difficult to ascertain how they got the job in the first place.
9 The Provider
This worker is the caregiver for the whole office family. Whether they’re lending a trustworthy ear so you can have a good moan and rant, or they’re always bringing in cake and biscuits and making sure everyone takes their lunch break, The Provider feels that it’s their responsibility to make sure everyone’s happy and catered for. Of course, this type of person is great to have around, but be careful because this behaviour could quickly become overbearing, stifling and a wee bit controlling.
10 The Micromanager
The micromanager is possibly the worst kind of manager. They endlessly interfere, they waste your time and they insist on checking up on you every hour, on the hour. Instead of just leaving you to get on with an allocated task, they feel it’s appropriate to coach you through every stage even if you’ve been doing the same job for the past ten years. Deluge them with information and over-report on everything to keep them satisfied – it’s the only way.