The Seven Kinds of People you'd meet at?Work

Why am I even writing this? What does this have to do with anything? I am going to be trolled after this, especially from my work colleagues who’re going to ask me which bucket each of them fits into. Damn it. 

These are just some of the thoughts and fears that came into my mind while I was planning this blog. But given the courage and bravery that duty brings with it, I am going to move past my fears and get on with writing this. 

I’ve worked in many different settings, essaying various roles, here and there. Sometimes selling, sometimes leading, sometimes hiring, sometimes just heading to the cafe for a coffee with colleagues, and most of the time, just focusing on having a lot of fun, day in & day out. 

During the course of my time in retail, institutional sales and later on, in tech sales, I’ve come across many different ‘kinds’ of people at work. Some of them have been tremendous inspirations and some of them have been tremendous irritators. Each different set of individuals has taught me a lot about life. 

Caveat — This is from someone who sold books in the past, and now works in IT consulting; someone who helped set a business up from scratch; someone who’s worked across sales, marketing, HR, product & tech (a bit); someone who has had varied experiences, most of them fun; and someone who has had the chance of working with some amazing leaders who have trusted him, supported him, made fun of him but at the same time, been a rock for him.

Point is, these are personal experiences and might not translate to a standard set of employees any one else would probably come across in their workplace.(Basically, please don’t blame me if this doesn’t apply to you). 

Phew, that takes a major load off my mind. Let’s get on with this.

#1 The Powerhouses

We all know this kind. These are the top bosses. They always mean business. They’re mostly leaders, doers, thinkers, visionaries with a clear strategy (visionaries without strategy also exist, mind you). They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from ruthless task masters to amazing human beings who make sure ‘work-ethic’ is valued above everything else. 

The common thread that binds them is the sense of ‘deliberate power’ they exude. It can stem from their role, their personality or the work they do. You’d mostly look up to them, learn from them and try to imbibe their qualities and strive to be an ‘achiever’ like them. 

There is a flip side though. They’re also ridiculed quite a bit by people who do not understand their motives, or are unable to keep up with the pace or agility with which some of these Powerhouses operate. 

Personally I’ve had a love-hate relationship with most of the powerhouses I’ve come across. Looking back, I’d say that almost all of them have been wonderful human beings who have taught me skills that have held me in good stead in many pressurising situations. They’ve helped me grow at a pace I would not have believed possible. 

How does one work with them? Normally it is always better if you are proactive with them, answer before they ask, share before they request, and do before they direct (This is not always possible since they are on top of their game most of the time, but you’ve got to try). 

Also, outcomes matter a lot to Powerhouses. And rightly so, since they are normally in positions of leadership — leading business units or entire organisations. They have to keep their focus on results, for the greater good. If you are result-oriented, and do not waste time on a twenty slider presentation to explain a simple point, they’ll (mostly) appreciate it. Also, time means everything to them and you should respect it, beyond anything else you do. 

#2— The Action Heroes

These are ruthless hunters, and given my experience, I’ll be exclusively talking about ‘sales’ hunters. 

Like any other predator, they are at the top of their game. Think of lions, cheetahs or tigers — albeit slightly more human (in most cases). They know what they’re good at, and continuously develop their skills to do more, kill (close) more and stay as close to the top of the food chain as possible. In any sales review meeting, these folks will only talk deals & numbers, and these numbers always have those extra zeroes next to them. Moreover, their words only end in ‘ions’ — no they don’t talk about science. I’m saying they always talk in ‘millions’ or ‘billions’ or ‘gazillions’. Yes, it is a different dialect as compared to the rest of us, who also talk about ‘ands’ and ‘eds’ — ‘thousands’ or ‘hundreds’ (of thousands). 

Many a time you’d find these Action Heroes to be devoid of a lot of emotions that a normal employee would feel on a day to day basis. (At least on the outside). Life seems so much more simpler for these ladies and gentlemen because they really don’t spend time chasing anything beyond their ‘targets’. Yes, they love building businesses too, but everything is number-based growth. Either you close the deal or you go find another one. There is no grey area, no middle ground. 2+2 will always be equal to 5. 

(Yes, they always close deals that are way bigger than what the company eventually earns, but that is another story altogether).

Coming to how one should deal with these massively charged-up personalities — With them, you can choose from two top options: Either become ‘more human’ so you negate some of the effects of their lack of empathy (EQ), or you become ‘more transactional’ so you speak to them about certain specific points (related to a deal of course), resolve it, and move on. Don’t give a hoot. 

A typical one-on-one conversation might end in less than 30 seconds (and more often than not, may result in some ‘ions’ getting activated). 

Sample conversation —

You — “Hey, remember that prospect we were discussing, with an annual deal potential of $5 Million? I need you to give them a call because they said they’d close this week.” 

Action Hero — “Cool, will close it this week. Anything else”?

You (Thinking about the weather, grabbing a cup of coffee, asking about their family) — “Nope, all cool, thanks. See you”.

That’s it. Simple and straightforward. Please note, team settings might demand a more ‘human’ approach but otherwise, the standards of time-based efficiency you’d achieve with Action Heroes is as close to perfection as you can get. With Action Heroes, there’s no tender loving, no care, and they won’t give a damn about how you’re feeling. But there’s also no politics, no malicious intent and no double meaning in how they communicate. Like I said, simple and straightforward.

They’re present, in their entirety, right in front of you. We should respect that, always. 

#3 — The Romantic Heroes

These are literally the hardest workers in the room but also one of the most emotional people in the room. They put in their entire heart and soul into their work. And that’s where the problem lies. They bring too much of themselves into their work. I know, I know — Many believe that it is important to be ‘yourself’ and not have a separate personal and professional demeanour. But, I believe, it is also important to prioritise things in life, and understand what to give more importance to. The Romantic Heroes are heroes in every sense of the word. They want to do well; they want their team, and their organization to do well. Don’t be mistaken. They are very successful in their professional careers. They love over-achieving their targets and in most cases, behave in a very similar fashion to ‘Action Heroes’. 

Then what’s the difference? 

The difference lies in the word ‘romantic’. A Google Search will get you to this definition — ‘of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealized view of reality’. And this — ‘conducive to or characterized by the expression of love’.

A Romantic Hero, tends to add a lot of emotion — love, anger, thoughtfulness, and a general sense of responsibility towards multiple things, beyond just the work at hand. They try to find deeper meaning in their work, but at the same time are locked into a rigmarole of trying to outdo others and themselves, every step of the way. This can lead to a lot of, uncalled for, heartache and misery. They will have many idealogical arguments with other leaders, their colleagues and their subordinates. They are very headstrong, and have a clear viewpoint on work and life. There’s no doubt about it — They will rock their work. They will achieve a lot, and are some of the most capable members in leadership, management and within teams. Just that sometimes, the lack of flexibility and ability to look at the larger picture tends to make their life much harder than it actually needs to be. 

Working with Romantic Heroes is not very difficult. They are going to make sure their team (and they) succeed. You just need to be aligned with their vision, and reason with them in a way they understand. You also need to be a very good listener, talk extensively with them on the ‘why’ behind a certain strategy or direction. You should also be careful not to get sucked into their ‘rants’. Yes, Romantic Heroes can go into long rants about persons they do not respect or situations they do not agree with. You might have to lend a patient ear to them, especially when they are your friends, but at times, you must respectfully decline to discuss things too much. There’s just no point.

Outside of work, these people are a lot of fun, you can have a great conversation on things not concerning work. You could even spend hours just discussing management since they are pretty good at rallying teams to work towards a common goal. 

#4 The Naysayers

If there’s one type of individual you should try not to hire in your team or make sure that you steer clear of, it is The Naysayer. For them, the word ‘no’ or the phrase ‘that can’t be done’ brings a sense of comfort akin to the comfort a hot bowl of soup and a warm, fuzzy blanket can bring on a cold, rainy night. (Ah, can’t wait for December). 

The Naysayers are a peculiar set of individuals and you have to give it to them — They are consistent in being negative about almost everything anyone else does (including themselves). 

Also, they are experts at everything. They know the world, inside out. For them, anyone who sets out to do anything new, is doomed to fail. 

You should never make the mistake of going to a Naysayer for advice on a project or a new product or a creative sales pitch. They will turn it down in such convincing fashion, you might get affected adversely. Worst case, you might end up losing your own positive energy and stop getting moved by things like birds chirping in the morning or long walks on the beach. Remember Dementors from Harry Potter? Well, some Naysayers have the power and energy to reach awfully close. (Keep your Patronuses ready — Mine is a laugh and a strut)

Unfortunately, many Naysayers are in positions of leadership (and I have no clue how they get there). They influence decisions that impact teams, and a variety of individuals. They can, literally, make or break careers. Scary, but true. 

The best way to deal with Naysayers is to limit your own interactions. There are no two ways about it. They are as headstrong as the Romantic Heroes and as confident as the Action Heroes. You can’t (and actually don’t need to) change them. Just steer clear. Period. 

#5 — The ‘Brooders’

The next two types are slightly more passive in nature, and not as dynamic or sprightly as the previous types we discussed. 

We begin with The Brooders. 

Well, as the name suggests, Brooders are mostly done with everything around them. Their energy levels remain low, they like to think of themselves as victims of a much larger conspiracy to outdo their innate talents. They feel everyone around them is out to get them. And they don’t even want to do anything about it because thinking like this gives them a sense of comfort- wallowing in their self-created misery. 

The funny part? Brooders are actually nice human beings, with their heart in the right place (Well, almost). They mean well and want to do what’s right. But they’re also stuck in their own thought process. They refuse to step out of the comfort of their own closed minds, and they continue to look at the world around them with a certain sense of scepticism that is very unique and deep-seated. 

Brooders are also one of the most intelligent employees out there. They read a lot, gather a lot of information, they listen to very intellectual bands too — they’ll even talk about genres of music (like Post Malone) that make your Katy Perry-Justin Bieber-Badshah-filled playlist look almost retarded. Their intelligence, though, is focused on magnifying the inadequacies of the ‘system’ or how everyone is running a futile rat race in the end. 

Yes, they do have a point. It is a rat race, no doubt, but you can enjoy it if you’re in it, can’t you? Brooders WANT to be in the rat race, do well in it and excel in it. And they can! They just don’t align their minds, their actions or their will to do MORE than they ought to be doing. 

In my experience, Brooders are harmless souls. And you can spend some time every few weeks with some of them, just trying to talk, trying to reason or just listening to them. 

Brooders have potential. They can come out of their broodiness (is that even a word). But it is your call on whether you want to invest that time and energy. I imagined it to be a kind of social service, and a psychological experiment, to try and figure out what kind of rabbit holes the human mind can go into. I’ll not lie. I was being selfish, trying to prepare myself to manage my own mind if, and when, it got triggered to go into its own state of ‘brooding’. (Sorry).

#6 — The ‘Followers’ or ‘Drifters’

I think the second type of passive personality is one of the most human employees in any organization. They are so pure, polite and magnanimous in their being, it is refreshing. Followers love being led. They are loyal, they are happy and content. Followers need to be given direction, told what to do (even the why is not very important) and they enjoy the hell out of doing it. 

Sometimes you may yourself feel a bit taken aback by the quiet energy and will power they have. Hell, you may even start feeling a bit inferior to them. Their ability to be happy, always, is so over-powering. (Makes me want to cry just imagining the depth of their pure souls).They’re so kind at heart and so happy just being there, working with their team, doing their life’s work. 

They also enjoy being with their family and friends. Their social media is the most vibrant and colourful space on the internet. No, I’m not talking about the oh-so-fake influencers and their reels. Followers and Drifters are all about LOVE. And they share it in a very nuanced fashion. 

There are no rules on how to engage or be with them. They’ll put you at ease even before you start speaking to them, with their million dollar smile. You can be yourself, talk openly and be clear on whatever you want to work with them on. They’ll mostly always get things done, well in time. They also ensure that they are open to helping whenever you’re looking for additional assistance and they’ll make sure they accompany you to the cafeteria as many times in the day as you want. 

As I said, they are proponents of pure and unadulterated companionship.

It is important to note though, that there is a certain type of follower that does not exude the positivity described above— A follower who becomes a leader. In some situations, this can become a major issue for the team, and for the role or organization, overall.

Follower-leaders tend to become defensive and scared in high pressure situations because there is no one else to fall back on, if things go awry. The loneliness of being a leader hits the follower pretty aversely. It’s not a good place to be in. The entire happiness and calm get replaced by a sort of passive aggression which translates into random bouts of depression, rants or even anger. Organizations should try to avoid promoting followers to leadership roles. Why take away a good individual contributor and put them in a difficult position?

#7 — The ‘Jokers’

Finally, the type of people you should never really try to understand — The Jokers. They’re inherently mad. They don’t have rules, they don’t have any set agenda, they do not fall into any bucket, as such. They’re just living it up. 

They can be your best team member and/or the maddest person in the entire organisation. They are a weird concoction of all the active and passive personalities you’ve ever encountered (yes encountered, not met, because you cannot technically ‘meet’ a Joker). 

Jokers are fireballs of energy and can get things done because they just don’t know how not to get things done. For them, 2+2 can be anything you want, really. Somehow they’re also able to garner trust and respect through all the madness they stand for. I believe it is because, deep down, they do operate from a core sense of duty or love or humanity (or a combination of all of them). 

You might start to think that this is the best type of person to hire, but I would never recommend that. The unpredictability of a Joker (like the more negative role portrayed by the Batman franchise), is what stands them apart and also prevents them from being a value-add in all environments. While they can be your biggest asset for a long period of time, they can suddenly change course, without any major reasons (since they did not necessarily have any major reasons to be an asset in the first place) and decide to shift teams, projects or even, organisations. 

One thing that Jokers would always make sure of, is to not cause any harm to anyone in the long term. Yes, they can make people around them uncomfortable, especially those, who do not operate from the same sense of deep-rooted ethic for work or if they want someone to grow faster, or learn how to manage pressure. But they always (mostly) have a long term view of how their actions or inactions can lead to a chain of events that affect multiple people. Hence, they’ll try to take care of things in their own unique, no-nonsense manner. 

They aren’t necessarily very emotional beings on the exterior but deep inside, they are thoughtful beings who know more than the let on. 

Managing a Joker is tough. You have to mostly let them be. Being with a Joker, as a colleague, a subordinate or an acquaintance is quite simple actually. Be direct, don’t think too much about the ‘how’ or ‘why’ behind a Joker’s actions and just share openly. They know how to fix problems, and they do it in ways that others aren’t even able to think about. 

Jokers like to keep growing, be respected and for all the madness they create, they appreciate consistency of thought, word and action. If their core values are challenged, Jokers can become quite vocal. And they’re mostly right because they operate from a much deeper sense of being. 

Before we close, an important point to note is the concept of ‘Transitioning’ — a lot of us are in a state of evolution — growth happens, we are unsettled, uncomfortable and trying to be something more or something different than who we were yesterday. Situations also might demand us to be a certain type of person during a certain phase we are going through. 

It really doesn’t matter what kind or type any one is, because that’s the beauty of being ‘human’. We change, we adapt and we are always evolving.

In the end, it’s all subjective, very personal and the only thing that’s important is to know who we are, who we want to be, and making sure that we get there by giving more and taking less. That’s all.

Cheers.