Three Types Of People You Want To Avoid At Work

I’m usually not a person who categorizes people, but when it comes to the workplace I can’t help but notice stereotypes everywhere I look! From the “Doormat” to the “Look-at-my-new-stationery” cubicle-invader, it’s become obvious that no office is free from these types of colleagues. From the “Unlikeable” to the “Office Pet”, the list could go on forever, but the three I’ve chosen are the ones to really avoid… as nicely as possible. Office politics, you know?

Suck it Up There’s a reason they’re called brownnosers- it’s from all the butt-kissing. They don’t necessarily love their superiors, but getting them to admit that is pretty much impossible. They’re the ones fetching the boss’ favorite latte from Starbucks, the ones laughing at all the MD’s lame jokes, and the ones that make sure to send a SMS at 12a.m. sharp for a birthday. The reason why you want to avoid a brownnoser? They’ll take you down! No matter what you do, you’ll always fall short because they’ve taken an oath on their lives to please their bosses beyond possible measures, and you my friend, will not stand in their oh-so-determined way.

Oscar the Grouch This particular type of office nuisance is usually spotted holding a rather large cup of coffee that resembles a jug. No time of day is a good time to talk to that person- and certainly no time of day is good to ask them to deliver the material they’ve promised to contribute. They are always in a grumpy (and hyper-sensitive) mood from waking up too early and they never seem to snap out of it (well, except at 4:45p.m. when it’s time to clock out). The grump not only will infect you with their negative office behavior, but they’ll also make a public show of sneering at you for your bubbly character- talk about a Debbie Downer!

Information Station Of course! Every office has an over-achiever, more commonly referred to as the “Know-It-All”. The first one to ever get a raise, the first and only person to find the absolute perfect way to do everything (never mind that the jerk stayed up all night to determine efficacy), and the one who looks down on you for doing it the “wrong way”. Unfortunately, the annoying specimen of colleague-kind does actually know it all, but doesn’t exhibit a shred of modesty. They’ve well-earned their title, but they boast and gloat about it all year to the point where you start to feel like the office hillbilly. It’s nice to be around someone who knows a lot about their job, only if they’ll teach you the tricks of the trade. This irritating staffer will never tell you how it’s done, but they definitely will show you… up!