10 Personality Traits in the Workplace – and How to Approach Them
Work environments can be exciting and also challenging because there are so many people with different attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. These clashing perspectives can cause many conflicts, attrition and disengagement between employees and management. Typically, there are ten types of personalities that are found in companies. It is always useful to be diplomatic in conflict but this approach does not always tailor to the needs of the behaviours and characteristics in the work environment. Do you or someone you know fall into any of these categories?
1. The Complainer – This person has the most grievances and encounters the most problems (in their mind) when at work. They complain about having more work to do than anyone else and that they are not treated fairly. They isolate themselves on group projects or social activities and then claim that everyone is against them or that they were deliberately left out.
Communication Solution:
- Have patience when speaking to these personalities. Maintain your boundaries and do not engage in similar conversation.
- Remind them of specific instances when they experienced the opposite to what the complaints were.
- Empathize with them when there is genuine concern.
2. The Gossiper – Every single company has one or more persons who carry this personality trait. Gossipers make it their duty to divulge falsities or tie up phone lines with juicy stories. If you have been a victim of the gossiper’s tall tales, do not be alarmed or worried. People of this nature often create drama to make themselves seem more important or hide insecurities.
Communication Solution:
- Understand that their behaviour stems from insecurities and there is little you can do to change it.
- Speak your mind clearly and directly informing them of the effect of their actions.
- Avoid sharing private details about your life and never engage in gossiping as this may be ammunition to start a new gossip conversational topic.
3. The Drama Queen – or King – People with these personality traits are constantly seeking attention and spasmodic. They are often described as showing “a pattern of excessive emotionality, attention-seeking, need for excitement. They are flamboyant theatrically in speech and behaviour and use of exaggeration to maintain largely superficial relationships for the purpose of getting emotional needs met”.
Communication Solutions:
- Reinforce negative feedback by first giving positive feedback.
- Calmly communicate how their erratic behaviour affected you.
- Protect yourself from highly and over-dramatic emotional sensitivity.
4. The Master Controller – This person is always critical of the work done by others.
They feel like if things are not done in their way and under their control, they are not done right. They are perfectionists and quite often over step boundaries to ensure that things are done according to their instructions. They tend to have OCD habits and may not function well when they don’t feel needed.
Communication Solutions:
- Embrace their accomplishments, suggestions or ideas within the workplace.
- Be direct when speaking to them. Avoid sarcasm and negative tone of voice as this raises their anxiety level.
- Pick battles wisely, meaning if the task is trivial allow the person to lead.
5. The Narcissist – This is one of the most difficult personality traits to deal with. This person thrives on self-praise and lack empathy or respect for others’ contributions or perspectives. Narcissists often have an air of entitlement, arrogance and are widely disliked. While they are highly motivated their behaviour is the source of conflict and contention in the workplace as they seek to be in full control of all situations, especially those that do not concern them.
Communication Solutions:
- Use positive reinforcement before delivering negative criticism.
- Praising them for their efforts may work to the advantage of the business. For example, publicly stating that they are the one of the best in their field will motivate them to excel.
- Bear in mind that criticizing their efforts will not immediately change their behaviour. However if you are offended by their actions, communicate calmly and directly about the situation.
6. The Passive Aggressive One – Passive aggression is an ambiguous form of anger. When dealing with this personality trait you are continually second guessing their word against their true feeling. Their comportment shows that they are fine but their communication oozes anger. These traits are great pretenders and believe in covert revenge.
Communication Solutions:
- Confront conflicts openly being careful not to fall into passive aggressive tendencies.
- Be direct when informing others about their disrespect or offense towards you.
- Build a work environment where they feel comfortable to speak freely and openly about issues without ridicule or mockery.
7. The Quiet One – This is not a particularly difficult personality trait however, this person secludes themselves from all co-workers and activities. They wear headphones throughout the day ensuring that no one approaches them unless absolutely necessary. They sit at their desk all day and usually fade into the background.
Communication Solutions:
- Encourage open communication by showing an interest and making them feel included and heard.
- Cast out their negative perception that they are not wanted, accepted or needed by affirming their valuable presence and contribution in the workplace.
- Do not force them into socializing, instead extend invitations and allow them more time to respond.
8. The Guilt Tripper – People with this personality trait frequently take praise for others achievement and pass the blame to others when mistakes or errors occur. They rarely accept responsibility for outcomes as a result of their poor choices, misunderstanding, mistakes or performance. They commonly give exaggerated versions of the truth to completely remove themselves from the situation.
Communication Solutions:
- When in a conflict, admit your own mistakes (if any) and do not engage in the back and forth blaming.
- Redirect the situation away from the blaming towards verifiable facts.
- Clear communication, firm boundaries and providing a copy to relevant personnel ensure that all bases are covered and everyone is on the same page.
9. The Lunatic – People with this personality trait are confusing to understand. They commonly believe that every action has is due to an ulterior motive. Their behaviour often reminds you of the characters in a reality TV show. They do not trust easily and always perceive others as being negative towards them or attempting to get them fired deliberately.
Communication Solutions:
- Communicate clearly and provide factual and verifiable information and explanations to them for clearer understanding.
- Be cautious about your delivery in communicating with them as they have a tendency to interpret things negatively.
- Avoid talk prolonging these negative beliefs.
10. The Psycho – Psychos or sociopaths are the most dangerous people to work with.
They would do anything to get ahead even if their actions are illegal, reckless or unethical. Their influencing and negotiating strategies mostly compromise manipulation, blackmail or in worst case scenarios, intentional harm. It is very common to see these people claiming credit for achievements they did not produce or were not even affiliated with.
Communication Solutions:
- Use clear and direct communication to enforce boundaries and to remove yourself from any illegal involvement.
- Persons with this personality trait do not often feel remorse or guilt for their actions; bear this in mind when conversing.
- Do not divulge any personal information that can be used against you in the future.
- Persons of this nature usually have narcissist traits as well. They will get caught and dealt with accordingly.