You know these characters! They’re present in every workplace. And while the names are different, the behaviors are the same.

Resister Ray

There’s Resister Ray. Ray never met an issue or person he agreed with or a change to process or approach that he supported. Ray is viewed as a blocker and probably doesn’t get a lot of respect.

However, there’s another side to Resister Ray, and if you use the right approaches to engage with him, you might just find him to be helpful.

Negative Ned and Nelly

And we all know Negative Ned and Nelly. These characters view the world through glass-is-always-more-than-half-empty lenses. They complain about everything, and you have no doubt they’re complaining about you when you’re not around.

Sometimes, however, you can’t avoid working with them. You need a strategy for cutting through the negativity and moving ideas and approaches forward to implementation.

Walk-On-Eggshells Edgar

Then there’s Walk-On-Eggshells-Edgar. Edgar is a master of subtle intimidation, and everyone seems to be afraid of ruffling his feathers. They tip-toe around him careful not to crush the eggs.

When you’re the boss, project leader, or a coworker in need of Edgar’s help, the tip-toeing has to stop. How do you handle Edgar?

Micromanager Micki and Feedback Turn-Around Terry

And finally, two of the most colorful characters we all encounter from time-to-time: Micromanager Micki and Feedback Turn-Around Terry.

Micki makes us bananas with the constant over-the-shoulder attention, and Terry is a master of turning every discussion into feedback about our “poor” management skills.

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Rest assured, all of these individuals are navigable and even potentially valuable to you with the right approach(es).

Here’s Help! Free Mini-Course

I’ve worked with and for multiple incarnations of all of these characters, and my coaching clients regularly describe their challenges with these same types of behaviors. That’s why I created our latest mini-course: How to Succeed with 5 Challenging Characters.

This 5-video series is delivered to your inbox, complete with summary tips and approaches for dealing and succeeding with each character. It’s free, the videos are brief, and the content ready for immediate use in your workplace.

Register now and you’ll receive the videos and e-mail summary information over the next five days. Just remember to use the ideas in great career and performance health!

Additional Resources:

Crushing It with Challenging Conversations online course

Challenging Conversations article library