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Personality Types

deborahwaters@iectskin.com · 2022-10-25T20:26:29Z

WORK There are 8 types of ‘difficult’ people—and the ‘passive-aggressive’ is the worst of all, says Harvard expert Published Tue, Oct 25 202210:14 AM EDTUpdated 3 Hours Ago Amy Gallo, Contributor@AMYEGALLO Ash Lamb, Contributing Illustrator@ASH_LMB SHAREShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It Having to work with frustrating people is simply part of life. You can’t escape them. But you also don’t have to grin and bear the stress as if you have no choice. While researching for my new book, “Getting Along,” I identified eight types of difficult people. The first step to effectively handling these frustrating colleagues is to know exactly what kind of person you’re dealing with. The 8 types of difficult people 1. The Passive-Aggressive is the worst on this list because they are the most common. They’ll appear to comply with the needs of others, but will then passively resist following through. Or they might use indirect methods to express their thoughts and feelings, so their intentions are never entirely clear. The Passive-Aggressive Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 2. The Insecure Boss might be a micromanager who drives you up a wall with incessant nitpicking. Or they might be a paranoid meddler who makes you question your every move. They may even intentionally hurt your career if they perceive you as a threat. The Insecure Boss Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 3. The Pessimist constantly points out all the ways something can fail. It sometimes seems like they can never find anything positive to say. The Pessimist Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 4. The Victim is a type of pessimist who feels like everyone is out to get them. They don’t take accountability for their actions, and they’ll quickly point their fingers at other people when things go wrong. The Victim Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 5. The Know-It-All is convinced that they’re the smartest person in the room, hogs airtime, and has no qualms about interrupting others. They gleefully inform you of what’s right, even if they’re clearly wrong. The Know-It-All Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 6. The Tormentor is someone who has earned their way to the top, typically making sacrifices along the path — only to mistreat others below them. They might be a senior colleague who you expect to be a mentor, but who ends up making your life miserable instead. The Tormentor Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 7. The Biased knowingly or unknowingly commits microaggressions. No matter what they think their intention is with these comments, their behavior is inappropriate and harmful. The Biased Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It 8. The Political Operator is laser focused on advancing their own career — but at your expense. Of course, engaging in office politics is often unavoidable, but this person is fixated on getting ahead and has a take-no-prisoners approach to doing so. The Political Operator Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It How to handle passive-aggressive behavior at work Passive aggression is one of the most frustrating behaviors I see in offices because it can be so hard to pin down and ultimately fix. But there are some tips you can use to nudge your colleague to interact with you in a more productive, straightforward way. 1. Don’t label them as “passive-aggressive.” Don’t label them as “passive-aggressive.” Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It “Stop being so passive aggressive!” is a loaded phrase that will only make things worse. I’d be shocked if your colleague said, “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll stop.” It’s more likely that this request would make them even more angry and defensive, which will stop any sort of positive communication in its tracks. 2. Focus on the content, not the delivery. Focus on the real concern or question hidden behind the snarky comments. Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It Before reacting to a passive aggressive comment, ask yourself: What is the underlying idea they’re attempting to convey? Do they think that the way you’re running a project isn’t working? Or do they disagree with the team’s goals? If you can focus on the real concern or question hidden beneath that snarky comment, you can find a way address the actual problem in a way that works for everyone. 3. Figure out what the other person cares about. Do some “hypothesis testing.” Illustration: Ash Lamb for CNBC Make It Of course, you still may not fully understand what your coworker wants. But spend some time thinking about possible explanations. Just like during negotiations, assess the other person’s interests. What do they care about? What do they want to achieve? Then do what psychology professor Gabrielle Adams calls “hypothesis testing”: Ask — respectfully and without judgment — about what’s going on. You might say, “I’ve noticed that you haven’t been respo...

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Latasha McDowell

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October 12, 2026 1:18 pm

Great article !!In my work experience Ive ran into a lot of passive aggressive office managers and tormentor clinical team leads. They made my job hell and even though i gave them 150% nothing was ever good enough for them. The doctors on the hand love and appreciated my professionalism . Working with the types of people are draining and cause work ptsd. Yes this a real thing.

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Latasha McDowell

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October 12, 2026 1:20 pm

@cameranriddleiectskin-com correct and they will fire you if they have the power too.

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Latasha McDowell

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October 12, 2026 1:25 pm

@paigebrickhouseiectskin-com yea I agree I don't like a know it all either because it makes me feel like I'm washing my time and breath.

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Jasmine Sample

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October 12, 2026 1:40 pm

@ashlee-hawleygmail-com I totally agree! Matching energy does not always work. It does not make you feel good either.

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