1. The One-Trick Pony
I once worked with a person in charge of a nonprofit’s direct-mail fundraising program. One time with the monthly donor letter, he used yellow paper and noticed he received a 6 percent higher than normal response.
Assuming that was the only factor, he made a rule that from then on, all the organizations communications with donors had to be on yellow paper.
The One-Trick Pony in your organization has tunnel vision. They only see one solution to everything, and it’s usually the wrong one. They’re not exploring other opportunities and giving you a broader perspective or multiple solutions.
2. The Empire Builder
This person doesn’t have the nerve to start their own company, so he or she builds one inside yours.
He’s always trying to acquire more authority and be in charge of more departments. His thirst for power is remarkable.
The other employees see it, but you don’t because he’s so good at managing up. The Empire Builder is highjacking your organization.
He’s a problem because his concern isn’t making your organization successful. It’s growing his.
3. The Incompetent
Incompetents are in far more organizations than you think. Simply put, they’re just terrible at what they do, but for a variety of reasons, they’ve been able to keep their jobs—some, for decades.
In most cases, it’s because the leadership doesn’t know the difference between “loyalty” and “competence.” (This is especially true in nonprofits and religious organizations.) Just because she’s been a loyal employee for the last 15 years doesn’t mean she’s good at her job. And trust me—all the other employees know she’s failing, and it’s creating much more hostility and bitterness that you think.
Bottom line: The Incompetent is costing you a fortune.
4. The Hysteric
When something bad happens—no matter how big or small—Hysterics go right to Defcon 5. They panic for a living, and everything is a worst-case scenario.
The problem with hysterics is they feed fear into other employees because they react so negatively to every problem. You don’t need that kind of negativity around you or your employees.
