People You Meet in Life

We all have had some experience or form of project group work, and suffice to say, the different types of people we meet are well, quite intriguing.

Now having done my fair share of projects (Marketing degree yes), I believe I am well-equipped to say that the personalities you meet are more often than not, a clear reflection of people you meet in life. So, here's the rundown.

#1 Control Freak/Leader
The person who takes the initiative, and leads, even if no one asked him/her to do so. A leader can vary in extremes, from being a control freak who barks orders like a sergeant major, to the nice and understanding Gandhi sort of leader that inspires you. That being said, a leader either inspires or instills fears or frankly, just evokes hate.

#2 Party Animal
You know the guy/girl who turns up at group meetings hungover with shades to cover the obvious eyebags. And can barely speak a word on his/her respective task. But then again, this person adds an element of play with comments like "Man...I was so smashed last night..." or "Yeah, I lost count after the fourth shot of tequila..." or "Are you serious? No wayyyy....". Generally, party animals don't contribute quality work and can be hard to work with but with that spark of fun, it is quite enjoyable to have them around.

#3 The Talker
Classic example of empty vessels make the most noise. People who are full of shit and talk about every single subject from their trip to Alaska to why some Indians are vegetarians. Frankly, they can conjure up amazing images of any topic, that is, except for anything that's project-related. But often, they threaten to deceive. By maintaining the smooth operator tone, they can actually make you believe that they DO know their stuff. Which may fool you once but no more than that.

#4 The Follower
Everything you say, he/she agrees and does. Any task at hand, a follower will simply follow like a sheep and do as told. Which isn't exactly bad but then again, it isn't very constructive now is it?

#5 The Hardworker
The Dirk Kuyts of the world. Always giving 150% regardless of the task at hand. All heart and soul, and always striving to do his/her best. Pity, that sometimes best isn't good enough. Interestingly, can be hard to work with, given that you feel bad to put them down for sub-par quality work when you obviously know they really tried their best. The truth hurts, and sometimes...they can't handle the truth.

#6 Dressed to Impress
The hot chick. The cool dude. All flash, little substance. There's always one of those around somewhere. And while generally responsible, these people are really into just looking good and getting compliments or even better, catching the eye of another. Nice to have around but sometimes a real pain to work with.

#7 The Funny Guy
Girls love humour. Guys appreciate good jokes. So bingo, the funny guy always wins. Always the centre of attention with one-liners and brilliant jokes, the wise-cracks can sometimes get on people's nerves and threaten to derail progress. But hey, after another good laugh, it's all good, right? (See Also: Talker, The)

#8 The Backstabber
With friends like these, who needs enemies? Always smiling and cheerful, these backstabbers pack a lot more inside than you can even begin to imagine. Cunning, manipulative, sneaky and smarter than anyone else, these smooth operators go with the flow and act perfectly normal. But when crunch time comes, the friend you thought you could depend on, is often replaced by the most conniving and snake-like person you will ever meet. Be warned, these people mean business. (Also known as The Politician and The Actor.)

#9 The Idiot
Commonly seen as a Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin equivalent. The idiot, is above all, an idiot. No matter how much time you spend trying to teach them, you always get the same blank look and another infuriatingly idiotic question. If working with a backstabber was ugly, then working with an idiot will evoke thoughts of dying. That is, of course, unless you are the idiot.

#10 The Politically Correct
If you looked for "Ethics" and "Morals" in a dictionary, you would see his/her face. The politically correct will never commit anything even close to a lie and will even question your integrity when convenient short-cuts are suggested. Perhaps the most anal of the bunch, this bunch may sometimes have a valid point in doing things correctly but how often do we actually see eye-to-eye with them?

#11 The Excuser
Lastly, the excuser. If you thought that taking an MC was a good way to avoid work, you ain't seen nothing yet. These people are pure con-artists, so pure in fact, that they sometimes believe themselves. Dog died? Amature. These people come up with valid and convincing tales that may even tug at your heartstrings and force you to evaluate your compassion level. Any and every possibility will be a lethal weapon to them, and quite honestly, no excuse is ever too unrealistic.