Which Workplace Mr Character Are You?
Sometimes the truth is too close to the truth
At work, are you the hyper-driven superstar, the plodder, or someone in-between?
Who else could you possibly be?
Inspired by the Mr Men series by Roger Hargreaves, I have taken the Mr into the business world. You may be surprised just how many of these character traits you may actually exhibit yourself, or at the very least, know someone who is this person.
A side note from Mr Politically Correct — all of the following characters should be viewed as gender and title agnostic ie: it is OK to substitute “Mr” with “Ms” or “Mrs” or “Miss” or “Dr” any other applicable title prefix.
Mr Toiler or Mr Spoiler?
Mr Toiler — we all know this person. Someone with the right work ethic, values and behaviours, but someone who just not have that indefinable quality I call “nous”. They try hard, but they miss the subtleties of the role and consequently fumble their way from task to task without realizing it.
It’s OK to be this person, just don’t expect to progress any further up the company food chain.
Mr Spoiler — the person who sees themselves as the conscience of the organisation, the black hat person that every meeting needs. But to others they are just the pain-in-the-arse workplace blocker that always tries to rain on the parade. If their intentions are honorable then they can add value, otherwise avoid them as much as you can.
Mr Blind or Mr Kind?
Mr Blind – this person lacks the self awareness to understand how they are perceived by their colleagues.
Their inability to understand their weaknesses is their greatest weakness.
They continue to blindly go about their business without realizing how it may be pissing others off, or at the very least, be mildly annoying.
Don’t be this person.
Mr Kind – he who cannot say “no”. He accepts every meeting invite, always helps when asked, and volunteers for every working group.
People view him as a reliable, can-do person, but this is at the expense of being effective.
You see, he struggles to deliver on his core work because he is always saying yes to everything else. He compensates by working ridiculously long hours to make up for all of the “yes work” he gets drawn into.
The title of Mr Kind may seem attractive, but don’t chase it at the expense of becoming Mr Taxi (always tired and always late).
Mr Is or Mr Was
Mr Is – the current rockstar. The high performer who is kicking the important goals. Appointed to a high profile portfolio and producing outcomes that keep the Exec, Board and shareholders happy.
It’s quite OK to be this person.
Mr Was – this is Mr Is who has been promoted to (or pursued) one role too many. He has now become a victim of the Peter’s principle …
“In an organisation each person rises to the level of their own incompetence”
— Laurence J Peter
They know enough to maybe get by in their new role, but not enough to be the rockstar they once were. Don’t become this guy.
Mister Acquired or Mister Fired?
Mr Acquired – the person that was actively headhunted and directly appointed to the role.
Becoming a Mr Acquired is a good thing; it means you are in demand. But make sure you can back it up as Mr Acquired can find himself unwittingly in the spotlight as others judge if the appointment was worth all of the hype.
Mr Fired – the one we all try to avoid in the workplace. Don’t be this guy!
Mister Chin-Wag or Mister Back-Stab?
Mr Chin Wag — we all know this guy. The social one on the floor. They love to chat even if it is at the most inconvenient time.
Now don’t get me wrong, workplace conversations are OK…as long as it is in moderation and considers the circumstance and the appetite of the other people involved.
If you are known as a Mr Chin Wag the harsh reality is that you need to change your ways. This is not a great workplace handle to have.
Mr Back Stab — the name says it all. Don’t be this guy. If you are a Mr Back Stab you will probably also be known as Mr Asshole (behind your back…irony). You will also be well on your way to a formal name change at the registrars office… introducing Mr Fired (see previous).
Mister Green or Mister Be-Seen
Mr Green – the inexperienced one. Most likely the newbie in the team, perhaps their first real job out of college. Plenty of potential but no runs on the board yet. It’s totally fine to be this guy, we all had to start somewhere, right? Just don’t be Mr Green in 3, 5 or 10 years from now!
Mr Be-Seen – the person who is always actively promoting themselves via extracurricular working groups, promos, active networking and schmoozing with the right people. There is nothing wrong with any of this as long as it is not so overt that it becomes tiresome.
Mister Smart Watch or Mr Gold Watch?
Mr Smart Watch – the current MVP of the team. Hip, modern, customisable and multi-skilled. Everyone wants a Mr Smart Watch in their corner but arguably they can be overpriced for what you get.
The lingering question about Mr Smart Watch is will they be superseded by a newer model next week, next month or next year?
It’s nice to be this person but always remind yourself that if you are fashionable today, what will you be tomorrow?
Mr Gold Watch – there is a lot to be said for tradition, and 25+ years of service gives this person experience and wisdom that organisations need. Some may see Mr Gold Watch as a timeless masterpiece. Often that person is Mr Gold Watch himself.
But others may think they are now a little outdated. Others know that gold watches are complicated to maintain and finding replacement parts get harder as the years pass by. This leads to a danger of being replaced by a newer, more flexible version (see above).
So if you are a Mr Gold Watch, look after your ageing mechanism and regularly calibrate yourself to ensure you are still delivering the precision and reliability you were known for.
Mister Grenade Thrower or Mister Lawn Mower?
Mr Grenade Thrower – also known as Mr Crop Duster. This is the person who will drop the proverbial stink-bomb in the meeting and then casually fly off into the sunset before the impact takes full effect.
This person is another of the workplace blockers but someone who does this with a level of stealth. They will say all the right things in front of an audience and then quietly lob the grenade to stall progress as they leave the room. Often, email is their grenade of choice.
Don’t be this guy.
Mr Lawn Mower – this person will cut your grass at a moments notice, especially when you did not ask for it. Not necessarily a close work colleague, but someone close enough to seize an opportunity to take the spotlight when it should have been yours. This is someone to be wary of and definitely someone you do not want to be yourself.
Mister Dominator or Mister Facilitator?
Mr Dominator – the person who loves the sound of their own voice and takes over any discussion with their strongly voiced opinions. They continually try to thwart one of the most fundamental laws of evolution…
We have two ears and one mouth for a reason
So if you are that person in a group environment that feels like no-one else ever has the balls to speak up, or what they have to say is not worth listening to, maybe you are Mr Dominator.
Here’s a tip…don’t be this person either.
Mr Facilitator – this person is adept at bringing everyone else into the discussion. Their two ears are well exercised, and their one mouth is only periodically unleashed.
Mr Facilitator is a valuable asset to any business so develop your skills to become one of these guys.
Mr Congeniality or Mr Lives-In-His-Own-Reality?
Mr Congeniality — a popular person in the team and someone who feels good to be around. Their upbeat spirit is contagious and this is particularly helpful when the workplace stress levels are rising.
There is nothing wrong with being a Mr Congeniality, just don’t do it in a Ned Flanders kind of way.
If you agree with this just say yes-indeedily-doodily for me.
Mr Lives-In-His-Own-Reality — otherwise known as Mr Space Cadet, this person is often much maligned and misunderstood. The problem is, they are so misunderstood that nobody can get any sense out of them. Even Mr Chin Wag actively avoids conversations with this guy because he is such a fruit loop.
Top Tip…if you haven’t yet worked out who Mr Lives In His Own Reality is in your workplace, it may very well be you!
Mister Burns or Mister Yearns
Mr Burns — the antithesis of the boss we all want or want to be. He is completely out of touch with the organisational workings, including the people that work diligently for him every day.
He compensates by surrounded himself with an army of overpaid advisors who bow to his every demand, and he distances himself from the workforce by keeping the plush corner office whose entrance is fiercely protected by the hounds (also known as the executive assistant).
If you are senior enough to be in a position similar to Mr Burns, don’t be a Mr Burns.
Mr Yearns — otherwise known as Mr If Only, this is the person who yearns for greener pastures. Whether it be that next big promotion, or the role in a “better company”, they are always complaining about what they have and yearning for what they could have.
Mr Yearns is someone who chooses to remain a victim of their own situation. They are good at taking verbal action about what could be, but poor at taking the physical action to move them from A to B.
It’s OK to aspire to something, but don’t fall into the trap of becoming a Mr Yearns.
So there you have it. A small insight to some of the workplace characters that may well exist in your company. You now have a sense of who to avoid or who to emulate.
Perhaps add or subtract a small element of each to grow and develop your own character?
If you enjoyed this article, please share and tag a colleague with their own Mr handle (just don’t be Mr Mean about it!). And feel free to nominate additional character pairs as I am planning a “Which Workplace Mr Are You ? — Part 2”.
Here is a sneak peak of what else might be coming…Mr Gratitude or Mr Attitude? Or how about Mr Work or Mr Shirk?
What do you suggest?
PS: What sort of leader are you? Are you the Rockstar leader, the Busker or the Shower Singer? Find out by taking the (fun) 3 Minute “Ugly Truth” Leadership Quiz here.
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