“I just love real characters; they’re not pretentious, and every emotion is on the surface, they’re regular working people. Their likes, their dislikes, their loves, their hates, their passions; they’re all right there on the surface.”
– David O. Russell
Every workplace is brimming with funny differences which adds to the fun at work. Each individual has that one peculiarity that is unique to him/her. It is also prominently visible to others because like David says, it’s “right there on the surface”. The corporate zoo has many species.
We’ve compiled a list of such characters for some easy giggles and rib tickles.
- Communication Chimpanzee– This person is a pro at expressing feelings, wants, needs etc and will always communicate with precision and utmost clarity.
- Slumbering Sloth – This is the ‘slow –mo’ colleague across your table and takes forever to deliver. He/she is someone you definitely have on board.
- Howler Monkey– Empty vessels make more noise is the adage that suits this guy/girl. Leave it up to them to create a hue and cry and make a mountain of any molehill. You must have guessed who fits this bill in your office.
- Gorilla– The Expressions Guru- Why speak…when your expressions say it all? They never fail to put across their thoughts. Whether it is disgust, confusion, exhilaration or exhaustion it’s all deeply etched on their face. You can’t ignore it even if you tried. Just a look at their emphatic faces will help you determine the office mood.
- Flawless Flamingo– The pretty, neat and level headed fellow…in short utterly flawless. They have the most organized desks and every task is carried out to a T, whether it’s office work or fun employee activities. You would have a hard time trying to find a single flaw.
- Polite Panda– The affable, cute people who will never lose their cool and be the epitome of politeness. Their secret mantra may be, ‘I’m nice to you to because of who I am and not who you are’.
- Family Finch– The ones always talking and thinking about their family. Their desk will be a live collage ranging from photographs to his/her child’s first painting. If you need to talk to them, prepare yourself to be given details of the latest family function or of what new things their kids said or did.
- Rhythmic Robin– The melody person. From R&B to pop to funk to old school or even advertisement jingles, music is what get the rhythmic robin going. Sitting at the desk and humming is what gets them through work. Say the word music and see their ears stand up with enthusiasm.
- Sticky Spider– This buddy is difficult to escape. Managing to get away from them is perhaps possible only on a washroom-break. Though chances are they might follow you there too.
- Silent Sparrow– The quiet, shy ones who keep themselves restricted to their cabin/desk “to be seen and not heard”. They are the first to fly in and fly out and speak only when spoken to.
- Empathetic Elephant– We all need a warm shoulder and a keen ear to hear us out. They are always patiently there for you when you need to rant on.
- Outstanding Owl– The wise one. In the corporate zoo, they’ll pass as the calm and composed ones. The key to extreme calmness seems to lie in their ‘yeh sab moh maya’ approach to life. Thus, they don’t get easily rattled or worked up.
- The T-Rex– The oldest, most ancient employee on board and also the no-nonsense person around. Treat them with respect and learn from their experience. It is always a good idea to be in their better books. If the company has nurtured them for so long, they would definitely be worthy of it.
No matter how wild the corporate zoo seems to be, it is the uniqueness of every individual that not only adds colour to work but also what might make you feel excited and happy to come to work. Besides, relating your colleagues to animals adds the fun in fun at work and you won’t even need fun employee activities to add to the office cheer.. Aristotle believed man is a social animal. Watching ‘Zootopia’ gives you a whole new perspective on what he meant!
Where do you fit in the corporate zoo? Let us know at info@willnevergrowup.com
