To earn a career (or even a job offer) in finance, you needed to have sufficiently impressed your interviewers. The finance setting in the real world is competitive. Occasionally, HR will let in finance professionals with uber personalities. They have spark, personality and commendable accomplishments. Unfortunately, as their peer group begins to work with them, these peers come to a realization that there are certain dysfunctional behaviors that serve as roadblocks to teamwork, realizing team objectives and smooth execution. Here are seven personality types that you find that injects poison into finance’s unique corporate culture.
1. The Pontificator
Pontificators tend to lurk around and blow their own horn at inopportune times, usually when you have a report due in two hours, right before the meeting starts or when you are rushing to the bathroom. Pontificators are focused on themselves, and spend less time thinking about organization or team goals. They also tend to tear down colleagues with biting remarks, and suck up to the boss, but when they meet someone with significantly higher standardized test scores, or well-regarded position within the firm, they worship that person.
Why they fail:
Pontificators waste people’s time and irritate everyone. They sap the group’s energy through de-motivating and aggravating remarks, and teamwork suffers as a result. A well-functioning organization can boot these people out after input from members of the team. Unfortunately, pontificators can be high performers and some managers are reluctant to let them go.
2. The Selfish Jerk
“Selfish jerks” can occasionally profess to care about organization and team goals – if this opportunistically helps with their image within the company. These people are really only aligned with their personal desires. When the company experiences some kind of adversity – when it becomes critical for each worker to rise to the occasion – the selfish jerk takes off for a new organization in a heartbeat or works at protecting his or her job. The selfish jerk is typically well-versed in financial subjects and industry benchmarks, is obsessed with researching industry statistics on salary and bonus, and runs a covert operation trying to figure out what co-workers are making in terms of salary and bonus.
Why they fail:
These types of personalities repel managers. Finance professionals who show promise as potential leaders possess managerial and leadership characteristics. The underpinning of leadership is service in the interest of the company and the team. Selfish behaviors lead to a nasty corporate culture that nobody wants, that includes “one-upmanship,” territorialism, back stabbing, sabotage and lack of teamwork.
3. The Nerd/Doormat
The nerd/doormats have succeeded in a plethora of academic subjects in high school and college. They are widely read, but unfortunately, doormats have completely ignored their communication skills and have difficulty conveying even simple issues in a succinct and understandable manner. Because doormats are usually bright individuals, they can reject receiving training or courses that will help improve communication or management skills.
Why they fail:
The doormat’s desire to be left alone – and avoid co-workers when the need for teamwork arises – produces costly miscommunication and disconnects. Often, if there is conflict within the group, the doormat cannot muster the necessary backbone to stand up for what is right. They are passed over for promotions for more assertive colleagues.
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