Remember the guy in sixth grade who used to do anything to get out of class and had an excuse for everything? He’s still around. He’s just getting out of projects and meetings instead of gym class.
Most people in business are not that different from those with whom we attended elementary school. We still have the same players and the same problems. . . we’re just all in business suits now.
Following are some of the same players you see around the office that used to play four-square with you on the blacktop:
- Class Clown: This colleague gets very uncomfortable when conversations get tough in meetings and throws in something fun to break the tension. They share jokes during the workday and tell funny stories to their customers. Don’t undervalue this guy or gal — they actually can dissuade some heated arguments with their humor. I value them most, because I was class clown :).
- Class Bully: Yes, the big sweaty bully is still around looking for a fight. He (or she) is the one that walks into meetings with a look like “I would rather be in hell than in this meeting,” sits in a chair as if he must conquer it, and leans back with his arms draped dramatically behind his head. When the first opportunity for a possible mistake in a report is presented, the bully pounces with disdain and sarcasm. They keep people on the defensive, and destroy teams. Paddling should probably be reintroduced.
- Class Suck-up: Everybody remembers Horshack in “Welcome Back Kotter,” right? The guy with his hand up in the eye always anxious to answer the question? He is alive and well in the business world. The suck-up looks for every opportunity to please the manager , frantically getting coffee or putting together a killer presentation to prove their worth. Don’t let suck-ups suck down Red Bull. Add nervousness to their need to please and it’s really unattractive.
- Class President: And, finally, our over-achievers. Those competitive individuals that were the top dog, big leader, and visual stand-out. They are still gathering votes in the hallway, only now they might be looking for support on a current initiative, or trying to get people to vote for them instead of that new service manager. The competition continues, and they are just as determined to win. Please discourage them from using glitter and posters.
There might not be any profound new information here, just a reminder that the same people you dealt with in sixth grade are sitting in cubicles and offices around you. Becoming an adult provides more complex situations, but we do not become more complex.
If you’re trying to figure out how to deal with someone, ask yourself, “Who would this person have been in my sixth grade class?” The approach makes human behavior a little easier to figure out.