There's one in every office. Be it their constant complaints, inflated ego, or always-"Urgent!" e-mail requests, obnoxious colleagues can make every day feel like a Monday.
Despite how they annoy you, taking some lessons from their behavior might help propel your career.
We aren't suggesting you channel your inner Dwight Schrute, but there are a few of their behaviors, when used in moderation, that could make you your office MVP.
Here are seven types of colleagues that you love to hate -- and the things you can learn from them.
The Office Jester
Most people are happy to have some levity in the workplace, but the office jester takes it too far. Too often this prankster misses the cue when the jokes run sour.
"Your sense of humor has to be guided by the audience," says Albert J. Bernstein, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of Am I the Only Sane Person Working Here?. "There are some people who always get a laugh, and others whose humor falls flat," he says.
Lesson: Making colleagues laugh helps endear you to them. Learn what your colleagues find funny, when they find it funny and make them chuckle from time to time. But know when to stop.
The Drama Queen
The drama queen tends to stir up trouble when office life seems dull. A simple borrowed-but-not-returned-calculator turns into an office supply crusade, where all items are subsequently labeled and inventoried so the perpetrator won't get away with it again.
However, the drama queen usually finds herself the center of attention. Learning which issues are given positive attention could help you illuminate what people in your office really care about.
"The drama queen can teach you what's paid attention to," says Bernstein.
Lesson: Pay attention to the drama queen's issues so you know what's going on, When it's time to confront a real problem, make sure you keep your head on straight and deal with it in an un-dramatic way.
The Egomaniac
In any office, there are high- and low-performers. Regardless of their productivity or results, however, there are those who think the company would cease to exist without them.
"There are two kinds of egomaniacs," says Bernstein. There's the "legend in their own mind," and the one who thinks they're above all menial tasks.
If you try to pass off all of your achievements as "extraordinary," your peers will become frustrated that you're incessantly bragging. And soon, those extraordinary achievements won't seem so awesome anymore -- with the recognition will come an endless expectation for more.
Lesson: Strike a balance.
"Stay on people's radar screens in an informative way," says Jennifer Grasz, a spokesperson and workplace expert with CareerBuilder.com.
You shouldn't fear tooting your own horn when it's acceptable, but keep yourself grounded while you do it.
The Super-Quiet
On the surface, a quiet person can appear to be the most dedicated in the office: They're focused, eat lunch at their desk, and don't cause unwelcome distractions throughout the day. But are they interested in the company as a whole?
"Some people are naturally more gregarious than others," says Grasz, "but it's important to have a voice within your company."
Lesson: Silence sounds a lot like having no ideas, so when you think of a suggestion, share it. Shutting yourself out from your coworkers could mean missing out on proving yourself to be a valuable team member.
The Endless E-mailer
The endless e-mailer must have missed the "less-is-more" conversation as a child.
A consistent back and forth that ends up being unnecessary won't say much for your ability to multi-task.
"Be sure the information you're sharing is targeted, relevant, and concisely written," says Grasz. This is also pertinent when it comes to the "urgent" button. The person who marks every e-mail as a "top priority" will soon be ignored.
Lesson: Send appropriate e-mails to consistently let your coworkers and superiors know that you're being productive.
"In some work cultures, e-mails are the evidence that a person is working," says Bernstein.
The Office Gossip
The office gossip is at the helm of the office rumor mill.
Being in the know is important -- but if you've ever been the subject of office gossip, you know that it is a grownup game of "telephone." Inaccurate information can lead to someone looking foolish.
Spreading others' personal news is a poor reflection on your maturity and hurts your reputation.
"If you're known as the source of reliable, interesting, pertinent information, it increases your value within the organization," says Grasz. "Office gossip takes it in the other direction."
Lesson: You should strive to be the source of information that is relevant to your business, not your colleagues' personal lives. Contribute to the circulation of professional news in your office, and people will come to see you as in-the-know about the right things.
The Brown-Noser
The brown-noser constantly flatters the head honcho aiming for raises, extra projects, and promotions. Closeness to the boss, however, often means alienating peers.
"Giving recognition is important, but a brown-noser tends to take it too far," says Grasz. "They're often the 'yes-man,'" she says, and too much cheerleading you demean yourself and your role, since someone else is always on top.
Still, it pays to keep yourself on good terms with your supervisor.
"You won't see the phrase 'must please your boss,' in a job description," says Bernstein, "but if you don't know that's something you need to do, you're going to be in a world of hurt."
Lesson: Champion your supervisors as well as your peers in a pointed, specific way. Illustrating that you're aware of how their specific responsibilities helped a project moved along shows that, while their role was certainly integral, yours was as well.
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