Dealing with different office characters

By The Standard | Jun. 19, 2021 | 4 Min read

An office can be a sweet or an awful place depending on the characters manning it and their reactions to emotions. People working in the same office should learn to manage their emotions, attitudes, dispositions and behaviours. These behaviours set the tone and the success or failure of every office. Let’s analyse the types of people that we find in most offices.

BY JONAH MOYO

Inquirer

In every office there is always a journalist, they always have questions and they want to know more. They question why things are done that way and why they are done. These people challenge others, but some people feel threatened by an inquirer. They challenge the status quo with their great analytical skills. These are the people with questions in every meeting. Their advantage is that they make other members think wider and think alternatives. Their weakness is that they may have questions, but never provide solutions. I have seen an enquirer shooting down brilliant ideas. These people might end up toxic in that they are only questioning things without contributing to the organisation.

Catalytic

Every office needs change-minded people. These are the catalysts to change. Change is indeed inevitable and as such we need people with an eye to see things before they happen. These also respond differently to change. In hard times, they are able to see opportunities. In good times, they suggest ways to tackle imminent challenges. If the office does not have this personality, they may suffer dormancy. As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution, these are the people we need the most. They think widely and wildly. They have strong analytical intelligence and are able to see through situations. These are people we need in complex situations.

Coach

There are people that help others see more than just work. They delve into the purpose of the office and the individual in an office. These are the people who help others manoeuvre in different terrains. They are able to deal with all personalities and they take centre stage in grooming, advising and even counselling others. Coaching sees beyond the daily functions of the organisation as they help other group members creatively improve their skill, thereby improving the organisation.

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Coaches are caring and concerned about all other facets of an individual. Probably in your team you have seen someone who is always advising others even outside meetings? For example, these are co-workers that go a step further to advise you on your marriage and general family matters. These things are not directly involved in work matters. Another good example is a person who will ask about your career prospects and how you seek to improve them.

Peacekeeper

Conflict is part of every office ecosystem, but there are people with a unique strength of bringing everyone together. These are concerned about the unity of team members and the unity towards the big organisational goal. Usually, these have great soft skills or emotional intelligence and are good at solving conflicts. The danger with the peacekeepers is that at times they would prefer to conform to other people’s ideas just for the sake of peace.

Cheerleader

A cheerleader is good at praising other colleagues. These are the people that bring positive energy to the whole group. They are naturally sanguine, upbeat and very positive. Every group needs this person. However, these are the ones that at times douse the seriousness of the meeting.

Dictator

Unfortunately, there are offices with dictators. These want to control others. They usually think their opinion matters the most. They want everyone to align to their contribution or thought line. The danger with such characters is that at times they don’t consider other peoples’ viewpoints. The dictator may be good only if their opinion will bring benefits to the organisation.

Crasher

The dictatorial and inquisitive behaviours can also fall under this one. These are people who are good at criticising and shooting down other people’s opinions. They can leave everyone angry after the meeting. It is the work of the peacekeeper to then bring everyone together. The crasher’s energy can be very negative to the group, especially if they only adhere to destructive criticism. Other members could feel disrespected or disregarded by the crasher.

Parting Point: I hope this article helped you to locate yourself and how you behave or relate in your office. Discuss with members in your office and even add more office personalities that I might have left out.