10 most awful people to work with in the IT sphere

It is a well-known fact that the people who work in IT sphere are very specific. Not everyone can communicate or work with them. Nevertheless, it is still possible to get on the right side of these people.

But at the same time, there are some types of people that you would better not meet. This article specifies ten the most awful types of people that you will definitely meet or have already met while working in IT sphere and gives the short characteristics of each of the type. You will learn how to recognize these people and how to deal with them.

So there are ten types of people you will not definitely want to meet, working in IT sphere.

1. An empty suit

This person will try to throw dust in your eyes by his/her profound knowledge of all technologies, but in reality he may be familiar with none of them. Such ‘consultant’ can give you a lot of troubles by simple underrating the total project time as well as the costs for the necessary hardware.

• How to recognize: He uses all of the buzz words and sounds like the real thing, but doesn’t actually know what he’s talking about.
• How to deal with: Let him complete a task by himself. Don’t help him. You will see how fast he will move to another department or another job.

2. An ignorant marketing person

Thinks that the project was successful only due to his great mind. If the project was not successful then this happened because nobody listened to him. Quickly forgets that every meeting he was present at was a disaster when everything he touched went terribly wrong. Never asks for somebody’s advice and likes to shout at people and give everybody orders.

• How to recognize: He loves to convene meetings and to send e-mails with up to 20 people CC’d.
• How to deal with: Ask him to use the corporate project management tool for every task he assigns or involved to. At least everyone will have more clarity about where the situation stands.

3. A dumb nerd

This guy is quite similar to the previous type. Thinks that the status of nerd automatically makes him smart. He works with computers, but his computer skills are very bad. He does not understand the mode of its operation that’s why it is difficult for him to comprehend what went wrong and consider this issue as his misstep.

• How to recognize: Usually these guys are hopeless gamers or book worms and have some serious issues as for distinguishing between the reality and fiction or the game.
• How to deal with: Don’t take him seriously… Until you do.

4. A middle manager with the lack of degree in humanities

The most awful things that can happen to you in the process of working with this guy occur when he is your boss. He doesn’t have any experience in administrative work and therefore is constantly irritated when his employees did not manage to read his mind and anticipate his actions. Hates the situation when his responsibilities are reduced, though in reality he does almost nothing.

• How to recognize: His favourite phrases are: ‘I’ll manage this’, ‘I keep it in mind’ and, then, ‘It’s all your fault’.
• How to deal with: Involve him to the process as less as it is possible. He will find other ‘important processes’ really quick once he loses an awareness of what is happening.

5. A Mansplainer

He can be a real disaster for any woman, even for a most skillful and experienced one. Enjoys explaining things in patronizing tone and he does not care at all if the woman he is communicating with is more well-grounded in this subject that he is.

• How to recognize: He loves to explain something the listener already knows, presuming that she has an inferior understanding of it because she is a woman.
• How to deal with: Use the same approach as he do. Explain banalities in great detail to him. He will change his style of communication very soon.

6. A boss-disruptor

Usually intelligent and worth person whose critical thinking is missing when he is faced with some technical slang. He is easily manipulated by the ignorant marketing person.

• How to recognize: He has his own set of phrases he uses when is ‘attacked’ by tech guys. Some of them may be: ‘I’m deeply concerned…’, ‘So what would you recommend to resolve this.. issue?’, ‘OK, let’s do like you said’.
• How to deal with: Teach him. In fact, he would love to learn more on ‘the issues’ he agreed ‘to resolve’.

7. A political theorist

Often makes the following false conclusion: if a person has good skills in IT sphere that automatically makes him a brilliant specialist in politics. Usually this person is dazzlingly smart and intelligent but undrilled as for thinking.

• How to recognize: You can find him really often by sitting at the kitchen and talking, talking, talking… His favourite phrase is ‘If the government would just do …, then …’.
• How to deal with: If you need him to do something while he looks really busy with other tasks, you can simply start talking on politics and then to crossfade to what you really need from him. This always works well.

8. A prolix QA

They are constantly moaning that everything is bad and broken. They think they are always right. And they will explain you why they are right very VERY DETAILED. This specific characteristic makes these people impossible to work or even to communicate with.

• How to recognize: Open any bug he reported. Does it take more than one page? Caught!
• How to deal with: Communicate woth him in a written form only. It will save your time. And your nerves.

9. A technologist

These guys are really obsessed with their work and continue to solve some technical issues even at home when their working day is over. Enjoy sharing experience with you and talk about the technologies when your working day is over and you have a strong wish to talk about something else.

• How to recognize: Thanks to him, you know about all the features of the iWatch and the Cat 6.
• How to deal with: Enjoy it. Thanks to him, you don’t need to waste your time on reading tech-magazines to keep abreast of the latest innovations.

10. A guy whom it is impossible to fire

This type can be meet in countries where the labor legislation is very restrictive.

• How to recognize: No one in the company knows why this person is still working here.
• How to deal with: Get him involved to the process and demand equal results.

In conclusion we would like to tell that you should not take this article too seriously. It is not necessary that you all these types in your work or experience the horrors described above. Just observe carefully those people you are going to work with and everything will be all right. Good luck!

P.S. In case you recognize yourself to your unspeakable horror as one of the suggested types, don’t lose heart. It is never too late to change for the better and to take the right path.