Straight out of the office and into your personal life we all know the different people you run into in a day. Some of those people are your best friends, and some are your worst enemies, and while there are a few that fall in between these two extremes, there are the occasional “I like them as a person, but who do they think they are?” Today, we are going to talk about all those people in between and exactly what each of them mean to you in your days.
First let’s start with the always last to be recognized, The Underdog. Weather you work in a sales job, or a big company, there is always the one who is the underdog. They may be last in their sales, or they may be last to turn in their part of a big project. From my experience, its mostly in sales jobs, but I know they exist everywhere. They are late to the party, and a lot of times, they are the most miserable person at the office. It seems as though they genuinely hate their job, and everyone generally hates them, and since no one likes them, they just tend to fly under the radar. Maybe it’s because they feel like this job is not taking them seriously, when in fact, they aren’t taking this job seriously.
Next we have the Know-It-All. The know it all is that ever so annoying a** who thinks that they can show you up on everything. “No sir, sorry we do not have that item for you today.” “OH ACTUALLY, we have one more right over here *pulls it out of some place that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. *” Okay, so maybe that is the most general way of putting it, but you get the drift. They do everything to show you up just to make them look oh so much better than you. All you can do is roll your eyes and show them that “eh ehm. No. I am in fact better than you”
Third we have the ever so lovely Micro-Manager. Let’s be real, this is clearly your favorite person on the team. Sometimes they are also part of the know it all’s, but nothing beats getting told “okay. So when the customer comes in you are going to shake their hang like so, and say “Hi. My name is So and So, and ask them how they are doing today” Do not get me wrong, on my first day of work, that is fine to explain to me how the company wants us to greet customers or other clients. On my 60th day of work, when you’ve done nothing but praise me for my customer service, do not tell me how to give good customer service. Especially on something as simple as greeting the customer. I mean come on now, I think I have it down. This is probably the most annoying person in the office. They also give you a post it notes with one word notes on it like you are supposed to know what they mean, and before you know it you no longer have a computer screen, just one giant post it notes that makes no sense. All you can do is work fast to clear those post it notes. I resort to being on the phone as much as possible so I can avoid being told how to pick up the telephone.
Next up on the list we have the Too Cool for You. We all have one, had one, or got rid of one. They are those guys that sit back corner with their feet on the desk not doing anything. Not to be confused with the Underdog who, while struggling in the process, is still doing work. The Too Cool for You would rather make coffee runs to get out of the office and avoid work. Their Facebook stalking is at an all-time high from 9-5, and those subtweets are most definitely about the micro manager. With all of that said, you probably absolutely hate this person, right? I mean let’s face it, they are lazy, and the less work they do, the more you do. But there is a small part of you that LOVES this person for the amount of frustration they cause that little Micro Manager of yours. I get it, and it is totally worth a little extra work.
Next on the list is XOXO The Gossip Girl, and gentlemen, if you do not get my lovely TV reference, ask your lady friends, they will explain. The Gossip Girl is your best friend, and your worst enemy. She has no mercy, and takes anyone as a victim. When you want to know the latest dirt on who is getting fired, or why the boss was screaming at Jimmy during the morning meeting, your Gossip Girl will know. She is just a tin can call away for the latest juice on everything in the office. If you hear a new girl is starting on Monday and want to know all the digs, chances are the Gossip Girl has found her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn (you know, to check out the validity of her professional career). She will be able to tell you the attractiveness of her ex boyfriends, and whether or not she is freak, what bars she hangs out on Friday nights, and who her favorite Victoria’s Secret Angel is (because clearly this is the end all be all.) The point is, she is the most in the loop contact you’ve got, and she will share every detail that she has got.
Next you have The Big Brother. The Big Brother for some of us, is the brother we always wanted, but never had. He is the one that can be harsh and to the truth, but your best friend. He jokes with you because he knows he can. He pushes the limits every time but somehow, because he is always there for a good pep talk, you do not care what buttons he pushes. Most importantly, he understands your frustrations with the micro manager, and the ex-boyfriend that called you for a booty call last week. Or how about when that awful customer said that a woman like you shouldn’t be working in a field like this, and you know what big brother said? He said “Do not let some old man tell you what you can and cannot do and do not let him ruin your day. You are better than that and he is clearly just over compensating for the fact that you know more than he does.” And somehow, that is all you needed to hear to make everything better. I just want to say thanks big brother, because even when you are harsh, and tell it how it is, I need you in that office. You are my confidant.
My favorite on the list is the Work Husband. Sometimes, the work husband will also be the Big Brother, but sometimes the Work Husband is so much more. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to have a Big Brother and a Work Husband. The work husband is the one that you can just take it a little bit further with. You have no boundaries, you love and hate the same people. He knows EVERYTHING about you. Yes, I went out and got hammered last night, yes that is why I am drinking Gatorade. Yes, my ex-boyfriend and I hung out last night, oh don’t give me that look! You can’t judge me! The conversations vary from “hey how was your night” to
“omg let me tell you about what Jack did when I got home yesterday” He mind as well be your best female friend, and sometimes he can put on one hell of a gay best friend when you need it most. His wife knows about you, and sometimes she loves you, sometimes, she hates you, but at the end of the day and the stories she hears, she is just glad that she ain’tyou, because let’s be real, no woman wants to put up with her husband 24/7.
Last, but certainly not least we have The Teacher. The teacher, the educator, the wise all powerful. A lot of times this can be your boss, and a lot of times, it might be someone on the same level as you. The teacher is the one who you look up to, but can be your friend. They answer all your questions and they want to see you succeed. The teacher can be identified as a leader. Someone who works on building you up, when you are at your lowest. They give you a fighting chance. Every day they find a way to inspire you, whether it be by being a smart ass with you, or by listening to your concerns and finding a way to move forward and make things better for everyone. The teacher enables you to grow, because at the end of the day, they want you to be happy, and they will get you there by any means necessary.
A work day is a cycle, and when the average American is working close to 50 hours a week, we need some balance in our workplace. We have the good, the bad, the ugly, and the inspiring. Every workday begins and ends with a team, and while we do not appreciate every member of the team, we do know that we are only as strong as our weakest link. So let’s bring those underdogs’ up, and those too cool for you’s down, and let’s make our teams happy and efficient.
