Spooky Truths - Six Workplace Goblins to Watch Out For

It’s Halloween and time to beware of things that go bump in your cube! Here are six downright scary Halloween characters – and one not so scary - who might sound altogether too familiar in your workplace. Be on the lookout so you can limit the tricks and focus on the treats.

The Emotional Vampires: These individuals will drain the life out of your workplace environment with their neediness and drama. Don’t let them drain you. Setting up proper boundaries and a simple, “Is there something specific you need my assistance with?” should cause them to fly away.

The Invisible Team Member: Makes an appearance during the dreaded group project and then vanishes. This non-contributor disappears whenever a task is about to be assigned or when the actual work is being done. Put the cloak of accountability on this sneaky figure by assigning clear and trackable deliverables at the onset. This one has clearly never read Character Building by Booker T. Washington, one of our featured Life-Changing Classics.

The Day of the Living Dead: Employees who barely fog a mirror. These individuals sit at their desks and appear to have already checked out of the land of the living. Their will to produce has been devoured by the dark, nefarious force known as demotivation. Find a way to reenergize these types as they tend to multiply quickly.

The Zombies: Beware the walking dead. These individuals will pick your brain until it’s gone and are prone to substitute other’s work for their own. Enforce a clear agenda with these predators and beware their eagerness to glom on. Do not freely offer up insights or work unless they truly have a need to know.

The Mummy: Overly relational individuals who insist on sharing every detail of their personal lives. They consider the workplace an extended family and not a place of productivity. They may derail the task train with their fretting and hand holding. Remind this smothering individual that TMI can be suffocating and gets everyone too wrapped up in things not pertaining to the business at hand.

The Oogie Boogie: Otherwise known as the Bully Boss. Full of icky, scary things like insects and spiders and has a snake for a tongue. This abomination is coercive and non-tolerant. They make a great deal of threats but when confronted with character and courage, begin to unravel immediately.

The Marilyn Munster: The one individual who really gets the organizational vision and is a completely normal entity in a sea of weirdos and oddities. Others view their conscientiousness, agreeableness, and can-do attitude as completely out of place. These folks embody the message of leadership, work ethic and vision spotlighted in A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard, another of our featured Life-Changing Classics booklets. And if you are reading my blog – BOO – congratulations, it’s you!!



CoworkersLeadershipSpookySpooky truthsWorkplaceWorkplace personalities

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published

Featured products

Save 60%
10 Life-Changing Classics Bundle
Save 67%
Life Is Tremendous
Life Is Tremendous
$5 $14.95
In stock