We spend majority of our life at work– time that could be better spent with our dogs instead *insert crying emoji*.
At least your dog doesn’t yap on about the latest diet craze like colleague, Keto-Kevin, or leave the remaining seconds on the microwave like lazy-Laura.
Unfortunately, 40 hours a week is a painfully-long time to spend with people who you don’t necessarily click with.
Ideally– we’d love to swipe left on annoying-co-workers, but sadly, this isn’t a dating app. Although, can someone please create this app? Kind Regards, everyone in the office.
So, instead of loathing over why Laura didn’t rest the microwave, how can we try to navigate different behaviours in the workplace?
There’s a UGE difference between personality and behaviour. Personality is something engrained in us and is closely connected to our values and belief system. Communications and behaviour expert Grazina Fechner says,
“While personality is intrinsic and requires rewiring, behaviour is adaptable dependent on your environment and the comfort or discomfort within that environment.”
This means, our behaviour can be changed– take not Kevin and Laura. There are four behaviour types to be aware of, and while you might strongly identify with one of the below, also know that they are certainly interchangeable at any given time.
Commander
You might know this person as someone who is direct and likes to dictate. They start emails with, ‘Per my last email’ and their small-talking capabilities are as good as your willpower to not binge-watch an entire Netflix season in one night– non-existent.
While this type of behaviour can come across as short, sharp and snappy– they also have incredible qualities.
They are tasked focused and driven to give their all. Our advice? When it comes to Commanders, don’t take it personally. While they may have absolutely zero interest seeing photos of your niece’s, sisters, friends’ new baby, you can always rely on them to get the job done!
Loyalist
Now we reach the other end of the spectrum. A Loyalist will definitely want to see baby photos– heck, show them a photo of your recently purchased, soon-to-die pot plant, and they may even shed a tear.
The qualities of a loyalist are genuine, caring, empathetic, and they usually take the backseat in most situations.
If you sit next to them, you’re one lucky duck, because they’ll always share their snacks *quickly runs to the nearest Loyalist*
While Loyalists are kind and trustworthy, some frustrating elements of their behaviour include indecisiveness and they will avoid confrontation like seeing an ex in the street–RUN.
Loyalists are a great part of the team, just don’t go out to lunch with them– they’ll analyse the menu for two hours!
Inquirer
An inquirer is the opposite of cool, calm and collected. They are detailed, data driven and deliberate.
So, how can you spot an Inquirer?
Their calendar is what dreams are made of and ticking things off their to-do list feels as good to them as remembering to bring your keep cup to a café #AMAZING.
These guys are total perfectionists, so if you ask them to do something, they will give it 100%. However, by being very detail-focused, this can sometimes be their downfall.
They tend to take things very personally, because they put their heart and soul into everything they do.
While at times this can be irritating for colleagues, remember that these guys can HELP you with your excel spreadsheet. And isn’t that someone we all want to have in our lives?
Presenter
Does the presenter really need an introduction? These guys are certainly the easiest to spot– because they’ll show you or tell you.
Extroverted and the life of the party. They’re always up for Friday night drinks and you’ll never catch them with headphones in because they have a deep FOMO.
Others, especially introverts, can be threatened by their loudness and flamboyancy.
But these are the people you should turn to when your computer decides to lose the presentation you’ve worked on for three weeks (I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE SAVED IT). They will cheer you up and take you out for coffee– ok, let’s be real, wine.
While at times presenters can be OTT (over the top), they add sparkle to the darkest of times.
And there you have it folks, all the weird and wonderful people you have encountered in the workplace.
Spending 40 hours per week with anyone different from you can be challenging. But remember, all our quirks serve a purpose! Except for eating boiled eggs and a tuna salad at your desk… THAT SERVES NO PURPOSE
Front and Centre Training Solutions offer behavioural profiling for organisations or one on one coaching. These profiles offer a deep analysis as to why you click with some people and others you don’t. They also allow you to understand your strengths and weaknesses in your work and every day life! For more information click HERE
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