There are many. Trust me; we all know at least 4 or 5 types of disruptive forces that make organizations squirm in agony, the majority of which have one thing in common – to drag all progress attempts to a complete stop. I am specifically completely and utterly fed up with two of these various types:

The Debatiator

Regardless of topic these personalities will not give in without indirectly suggesting you’re in idiot or go on and on about neighboring issues or topics that potentially could (probably won’t) have an impact on your decision. They will debate their point of view endlessly and will be the very first to tell you they told you so. They will never indulge you with phrases like “I think that’s a great idea”, “Well done” or “I stand corrected”, they don’t feel guilt and they will never ever admit to be mistaken. These personalities have been taught that everybody else is wrong, and so they firmly believe that they are right – always. There is no productive alternative to their opinion or solution, and they simply can’t grasp the fact, that others might actually have something to contribute (or they won’t cope with it). They actually suffocate progress where they are often installed to aid it, and it seems as if all proactive initiatives undergo a gravitational collapse and become tiny black holes in their hands. Working with such individuals is by nature difficult and it shows true sign of patience, in abundance, when such unfortunates manage to stay calm. The truly sad thing about these personalities is that, behind all the arrogance they often possess contribute worthy skills and knowledge.

The Forgetiator

These personalities bounce off promises like water on Teflon. You might be able to get results from them – if you stand behind them watching their every move – but if you leave them stray for just a bit, they will end up doing something completely different. They don’t read the full content of emails, if at all, and they will have forgotten verbal as well as written covenants, by the next time they gasp for air. When confronted with deliverables due, they will act as if this is the first time they’ve heard of it, and you’re often forced to re-initiate the dialogue. No deadlines past is their fault and like The Debatiator they don’t feel any need to express regret or discomfort. Any attempt to structure these individuals will die in vain; you simply cannot teach them to follow constructive patterns. Any true forgetiator will be an encyclopedia of knowledge if you’re able to dig it out, but therein lies the hard part; unless you’re able to remember every word they say (while filtering through vast amounts of chatter), retrieving that knowledge is hopeless. They don’t communicate well, they don’t estimate well, they don’t write noticeable or worthwhile documentation, they don’t think ahead and they are incapable of breaking habbits.

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