How to Deal with 12 Types of Kooky People

Kooky people are everywhere. Relocating won’t help. You deal with them till you die. Heck, you might be one.

12 kooky people you deal with at work:

  1. Panicky Pete – everything’s a crisis.
  2. Kind-hearted Katie – can’t stop offering suggestions but doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
  3. Dictator Dave – loves bossing people around.
  4. Babbling Brenda – a chatterbox who can’t stop spewing nonsense.
You deal with kooky people till you die. You might be one! Image of a kid in a Halloween straight jacket.

Buy a straight jacket: https://amzn.to/46Zd3r1

  1. Rigid Reggie – keeps pushing until he gets his own way.
  2. Meddling Marge – has her nose up in everyone’s business.
  3. Needy Nigel – constantly fishes for affirmations.
  4. Slippery Sammy – won’t say what she really thinks. She’s a master of concealment.
  5. Tinkering Tina – tries to improve your work when you’re nearly done.
  6. Grumpy Greg – smiles every February 29th.
  7. Angry Agnes – lives with constant frustration and lets you know about it.
  8. Aloof Andy – knows what everyone should do, but isn’t doing what he should do.

Real concerns:

Crazy people drag you into wacko world. Don’t meet wacky with crazy.

Angry people make you angry, for example. Or arrogant people invite your own brand of arrogance.

How to deal with kooky people before you go crazy:

Know there’s a bit of kooky in you. When someone drives you nuts, reflect on yourself. My first-grade teacher wrote in my report card. “Danny has to know everything that’s going on.” Translation, he’s nosy.

Speak up with candor, kindness, and optimism. You get what you tolerate. When you don’t speak up you eventually do stupid things.

7 Questions:

  1. Who do you aspire to be when dealing with kooks? Don’t lose yourself.
  2. What behaviors do you expect from yourself? 
  3. How are you striving to make work better, specifically?
  4. What boundary do you need to establish?
  5. How will you explain your boundaries?
  6. What happens when your boundaries are violated?
  7. What lessons are the crazies teaching you?

What kinds of kooky people have you encountered at work?

How do you deal with crazy people without going crazy?

Still curious:

Chasing the Red Dot – Our dog Spunkie chased red dots.

Stress: How to get Screaming Monkeys off your Back

Here’s a great Christmas gift idea, The Vagrant: The Inner Journey of Leadership.

Category : relationships, Leadership Development, Leading
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