Different Personas in the Workplace: Which Worker Type are You?

What is Corporate America? That's easy. It entails being part of a collective group of individuals building towards a common goal. In Corporate America, the challenge is putting in as much as work as possible in an eight hour period to reach the almighty dollar, or billions in Donald Trump's case. Everything inside this exclusive universe (Wall Street, Manhattan, Las Vegas, Hollywood, etc.) is built for the purpose of making money and making sure that everyone is part of the status quo. If someone breaks away from the mold, they could either be a star or a chump, depending which way society's dial is turned for the moment.

Success is relative depending on the person's goal in life, or their occupation. If it's Donald Trump, his goal would be to gain as much exposure and money as possible doing both. For the average customer service representative, they want to finish their calls and not lose their composure in the process. Professional accomplishment ultimately varies depending on which end of the financial spectrum a person is on. Money could be everything to aspiring millionaires, while for others it could be more of a hindrance than a sign of success. To take a closer look at what type of successful person you could be, it's best to narrow the focus to your workplace.

As a test, one day people should quietly observe their workplace environment just to see what other people are like. They would notice relatively quickly the type of personas that surround their cubicles. There are people who follow the crowd, and those who regularly go against the grain. Those types of people are broken into six distinct categories that go either way. Look through them and see which type fits you and which ones don't. The choice is yours to see what type of workplace person you are, and you have to learn to accept that, no matter what.

-Slacker- They are the ones who tend to do nothing at all. They make no effort because they despise doing the work. They want all the glory and none of the sweat that comes from hard work. These are the people that are minimum wage job vagabonds, because they can never settle down on one particular career path. They always move from one job to the next without thinking about their responsibilities. This habit tends to make them permanent fixtures at the back of the unemployment line.

-Overachiever- Beware of the person who works too hard. They take over numerous projects, sometimes one too many, and multi-task to the point of madness. They are the people who juggle so many balls in the air that they tend to drop one by one gradually. Their nerves get shot and make them the most likely to get into a screaming match with someone at the office water cooler. Run for cover if someone fitting that description heads in that direction, especially if they are carrying sharp objects.

-Powerhouse- These people are usually high ranking officials who strive for control of everything and everyone. They will do anything and push anyone out of their way in order be number one. Sadly, most American workers have been openly criticized by their bosses, or heard about it through the office grapevine. This type of behavior usually makes them public enemy number one and gossiped about when they are not the room.

According to an article from CareerBuilder.com, a survey was done last year by the Employment Law Alliance, which suggested that a surprising number of employees have been victimized by their bosses. In the survey, about 44 percent said "they have worked for a supervisor or employer whom they consider abusive." If this person pushes too many buttons, the abuse could escalate into much worse when ignored for too long.

This hard-charging person is someone who can lead to a hostile working environment, which could lead to a mass exodus of irritated employees if pushed too hard. They are the people whose job security is rock solid, unless they do something so extreme that would cause them to be fired. Otherwise, employees are stuck with them until they quit their jobs, or get fired themselves. The best cure would be to find a rational way to stop being the boss' whipping post without losing your job, which would be through an objective third party. Good luck finding one that is not afraid of the boss, or their best friend.

-Average Joe- The person that can be described as ordinary. Someone who does not stand out. They do their work at the scheduled time. No more, no less. They clock out on schedule. They contribute nothing additional to the table and have no desire to do so. Promotions are not a priority, because that would require extra work and these people do not believe in working beyond what is required to be done.

-In-betweens- The people who are neither one hundred percent nice or overachievers. On any given day, they can be salt of the earth individuals with their noses to the grindstone, or they can be the rudest person alive. Their moods, and their desire to work, changes at the flicking of a metaphorical light switch. Their unpredictability makes them interesting and just as dangerous.

- The "Nice" Person- Can the perpetual nice guy climb their way to the top, or sink to the bottom? Unfortunately, the answer would be neither. Nice people are usually ignored due to working behind the scenes instead on the front lines. In an article from CNN.com, job promotion for nice people is not an option, because they don't make enough of an impact to get one. Dr. Nikos Bozionelos of the University of Sheffield in England learned through his research that the more agreeable an employee was the more likely they would not be promoted. Bozionelos believed that compliant employees "tend to self-sacrifice and compromise their own interests to make others happy." Since nice people strive to please others, they tend to be coerced into doing remedial tasks that hardly get noticed at work and have little impact on their careers.

In the end, work can be a distant memory each day the clock chimes five o'clock. As soon as you clock out, the negative energy of a controlling boss screaming about everyone's inability to listen will disappear. Outside of the confines of the cubicle, the key to individual success can simply be made by taking a chance. Once that happens, you are good to go regardless of the size of the goal. When that goal is achieved, the feeling is wonderful. No price tag can, or will, be placed on it.

Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/Careers/10/07/nice.guys/
http://www.careerbuilder.ca/CA/JobSeeker/CareerAdvice/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=235&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=e836a245a8bf41b3a2410d3c32ee6955-253904748-J9-5&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_44_percent_said_they__