It’s that time of year again. The clichés are out in force, the designer stubble has been coiffed and the business plans typed up. Yes, the artist formally known as “Serralan” and his grimacing sidekicks are back for another series of The Apprentice.
Love it or loathe it, you can’t deny that it’s painfully entertaining watching a room full of egos “brainstorming” a team name and inevitably coming up with something that sounds like a really shit 80s superhero. But I think the reason The Apprentice can be such compulsive viewing is its familiarity. Most of us, at some point in our careers have had to deal with a colleague who, for whatever reason is borderline impossible to work with.
From indecipherable jargon to jealousy issues and constant hangovers, the average office is all too often a hotbed of personality clashes.
Here’s our handy guide to some of the most commonly found “difficult” characters, and how to survive working with them.
The Demanding Boss
Usually found abroad on some kind of unspecified business trip. Goes out for lunch a lot. Often sends you emails at 9pm asking you to just “throw something together” for tomorrow’s board meeting.
Handle them by…
Setting some boundaries. If you keep answering emails at weekends and taking on big, last minute jobs then you’re unconsciously saying that their behaviour is acceptable.
Stop answering emails after a certain time in the evening. If this really isn’t possible, then deal with any late night demands with a straightforward “I’ll look at this first thing tomorrow morning.”
If the issue is that your boss is making you do all the work and taking all the credit, then its time to fight for some recognition. If you’ve put together the board presentation, it’s not unreasonable to ask whether you can be involved in the meeting where it’s presented.
The Overconfident Jargonite
We’re in definite Apprentice territory here. The Overconfident Jargonite doesn’t know when to stop talking and is overly fond of 100 page Powerpoint presentations with lots of graphs and no discernible purpose. Watch out for the ludicrous catchphrases like: “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
Handle them by…
Focusing on facts and figures. If you’re managing someone like this, offer up specific, deliverable tasks and an allotted time frame. Reward them for results: they need to prove that they can do more than just talk the talk. Having an Overconfident Jargonite as your manager is more difficult, and often means that you’ll spend hours in pointless meetings where they demonstrate their limited understanding of what “per cent” actually means. Be strict with your time. A quick “I’m really overstretched today, could we possibly catch up tomorrow?” can work wonders. Don’t indulge them.
The Party Animal
Sneaks in late on Mondays and Fridays, occasionally in last night’s clothes. Gets away with murder due to a certain amount of innate charm but rarely pulls their weight. Desk often overrun with coffee, Lucozade and Nurofen.
Handle them by…
Helping them out – but only sometimes. If someone is genuinely struggling to get through the day, try to be sympathetic, bring them a glass of water and listen to their woes. Punctuate any offers of help with “obviously I can’t do this every day, but as you’re feeling terrible…” This establishes that you’re not there to constantly cover for them, while remaining in their good books. If it happens repeatedly, stick in some headphones, put your head down and let them get on with it.
Do not attempt to solve the problem by becoming their drinking buddy.
The Insecure Manager
Overly critical, treats every job well done with suspicion. Likes to maintain a sense of “us and them”, spending as much time as possible with more senior staff and acting dismissively towards anyone more junior than them.
Handle them by…
Proving to them that you’re on the same team. The Insecure Manager feels threatened by your success and ultimately is afraid that you’re after their job. Try to work together where possible and always give them credit where credit is due – especially in front of senior management.
If you feel you’re being unduly criticised then pull them up on it, saying clearly and politely that you don’t understand where you went wrong and please could they provide more detailed feedback so you can ensure it doesn’t happen again. Above all, don’t let someone else’s insecurities affect your confidence and performance.
The Old Timer
Has been at the company since the dawn of time and therefore knows more than everyone else. About everything. Often heard saying things like “that’s not really how things are done here” and name-dropping people who left five years ago.
Handle them by…
Listening to what they have to say. While it can be annoying to be treated like the new kid on the block when you’ve actually been there over a year, long term members of staff do have invaluable insights into the unique way that a particular business runs. They’re unlikely to change (or indeed leave) so don’t waste your energy getting irritated: really your only option is to grit your teeth, be nice and hope that eventually they accept that you know what you’re doing.
Have you worked with any particularly difficult characters? How did you learn to deal with them? Let us know in the comments, or tweet us @gdnwomenleaders
