Answer the 10 questions below to find out which one you are and what you can do to become a more well-rounded worker.
The office is a diverse place, housing
countless personalities. Companies wouldn't thrive with the same type of
employee offering similar skills and qualities. Differences are encouraged and
appreciated, so long as they are channeled in a productive manner.
I looked to Twitter and recorded the five
most common co-workers in today's workplace. Answer the 10 questions below to
find out which one you are and what you can do to become a more well-rounded
worker.
1. Your train to work is delayed. What's your initial reaction?
A. Grow angry, mope and text your colleagues
for sympathy.
B. Sit back and relax. It's not your fault
the trains are never on time.
C. Joke about the delay to the passengers
around you. At least you're all in the same boat.
D. Alert your boss, take out your laptop and
get started on your work for the day.
E. Plug in your headphones and read or scroll
social media.
2. Someone calls you on your personal smartphone at work. What do you
do?
A. Groan and rant about scam callers and your
mom's relentless voicemails.
B. Step outside the office and take your time
on the phone.
C. Answer the call at your desk in a funny
accent.
D. Send the call directly to voicemail and
stuff your phone in your bag.
E. Ignore the call and shoot the person a
text instead.
3. Your boss assigns the team a particularly arduous task. What's your
first step?
A. Grow annoyed, because that type of work is
not in your job description.
B. Push it off until you're finished with
your current work, whenever that may be.
C. Sarcastically comment on how easy it will
be and how excited you are to start.
D. Plan out the details right away and ask
your colleagues if they need help with their parts.
E. Independently analyze the project to
better understand your responsibility.
4. Someone is talking particularly loudly, and you can't focus on your
work. How do you handle the issue?
A. Sigh, message another colleague about how
rude the person is, and scoff at them until they quiet down.
B. Join them! Are you expected not to speak
for a whole eight hours?
C. Call the person out by making a
lighthearted joke.
D. Politely tell the person to keep it down
so you aren't distracted.
E. Put your headphones in and listen to some
quiet music to drown out the chatter.
5. Your boss asks you out for a team lunch. What's your response?
A. "We aren't going to the same place we
went last time, are we?"
B. "I'm always down for an outing! When
are we leaving? I'll pack up now."
C. "If it's on the company card!"
D. "As long as we aren't too long. I'm
swamped today."
E. "I brought lunch, but thank you for
asking."
6. You want a promotion. What do you do about it?
A. Tell your boss that you're miserable in
the position you're in and that you want to make a change.
B. Figure out a way to get paid more while
doing the same amount of work.
C. Prove to your boss that your personality
keeps employees engaged and optimistic. What more can you ask for in a leader?
D. Prepare a proposal in which you outline
your qualifications and list your expectations, then choose the right time to
speak to your manager.
E. Ask your manager if you can schedule a
one-on-one meeting to discuss opportunities for growth.
7. You made a mistake on a project and will now miss deadline. How do
you inform your manager?
A. Tell them you were not given proper
instructions for the project and felt overwhelmed, which is why you messed up.
B. Use your mistake as a valid excuse for not
making deadline, even though you put it off for days and wouldn't have made it
anyway.
C. Own up to it and laugh it off. Everyone
makes mistakes!
D. Panic, figure out a way to somehow meet
the deadline and do extra work to make up for it.
E. Take them aside and explain what went
wrong, apologizing relentlessly.
8. Your boss asks you to stay
late at work, but you have dinner plans with a friend. What do you do?
A. Stay late, but whine to said friend about
how unfair your manager is.
B. Tell your boss you have a "prior
commitment" and leave at a normal hour (which is technically late for
you.)
C. Stay and keep everyone positive with your
witty humor.
D. Agree without a second thought. You're
used to staying late.
E. Oblige without voicing any concern, even
though you're dying to get home and unwind.
9. It's the holiday season at the office! How do you celebrate?
A. By crying about your how lonely you are
this time of the year.
B. By taking personal time off.
C. By getting a bit too tipsy and playing
Dance Dance Revolution at the office party.
D. By buying everyone their own gifts.
E. By baking something for the team.
10. What are you most likely to get in trouble for?
A. Your bad attitude.
B. Missing a deadline.
C. Not taking work seriously enough.
D. Working more than the allotted hours.
E. Not voicing your opinion enough.
Results
Calculate the amount of A's, B's, C's, D's,
and E's you answered, and refer to the results below.
If you got:
Mostly A's
You are The Complainer. No matter what
happens in the office, you can always find something to whine about. Maybe
getting sympathy takes the edge off, or perhaps you just like to vent. Either
way, try being a little more positive – for yourself and your team.
Mostly B's
You are The Procrastinator. You put work off
for as long as possible and jump at any distraction. While you might make some
deadlines, you're typically scrambling to get projects done in time,
compromising the quality of your work. Start prioritizing your assignments and
organizing them in a way that makes sense to you and your company.
Mostly C's
You are The Comedian. You love to make your
colleagues laugh, even if that means they get sidetracked. You use all forms of
humor, from dark to dry, and never fail to get a smile from even The
Complainer. But while it's nice to have comic relief in the office, you have to
draw the line somewhere.
Mostly D's
You are The Overachiever. If you're not
finishing your own assignments days in advance, you're picking up someone
else's slack. You truly care about the company and you career, and you'd
practically do anything for your job. But it's important for you to balance
your work and your personal life, and ensure that you aren't being taken
advantage of.
Mostly E's
You are The Introvert. You keep to yourself
for the most part, focusing on your independent work and favoring one-on-one
conferences over group meetings. There's nothing wrong with work ethic, but it
might benefit you to branch out and speak up from time to time, pitching ideas
and bonding with co-workers.