6 Types Of Toxic People You Should Never Befriend At Work

1. The Chit-Chatter

Your office would be a boring, mildly depressing place if you didn’t spend time talking about that new Netflix show or the weird thing your kid said the other night. But if a co-worker gets a little too into small talk, to the point that they’re monopolizing everyone’s time, you may want to keep your distance, said psychologist and executive coach Kate Snowise.

“These are the people in the workplace who are more interested in socializing than getting the work done,” she said. “If you get too close to them, they’ll be quick to distract you. The downside being, you’ll still have that pile of work to get done. The chit-chatter can be a massive productivity suck.”

2. The Know-It-All

Know-it-alls in your office thrive when they make others feel less capable and inferior: They school your IT guy on the new Apple iOS update without ever being asked, and they’re quick to talk over people in lower positions during meetings. Their confidence may have earned them a cushy position, but don’t be swayed by their inflated sense of self or power, said Teresa Marzolph, founder of Culture Engineered, a human capital consulting firm in Phoenix.

“If you get close to them, you are signing up for a life of a lackey. They will not recognize you as their equal, ever,” she said. “Know-it-alls live in a world where they are smart and everyone else isn’t. When something goes wrong, it’s your fault, not theirs. The know-it-all’s loyalty is to his ego. Your friendship, career and dignity will come in second, at best.”

3. Back-Stabbers
4. The Procrastinator
5. The Soul-Sucker
6. The Martyr

Full story: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/6-types-of-toxic-people-you-should-never-befriend-at-work_us_5b71f564e4b0bdd0620c0c9c

I've worked with them all.