The List

Workplaces are awash in stereotypes and labels. When there is little time to get to know someone, it is convenient to assign a brief description and put them in a box:

"Classic Engineer." "Ambitious MBA." "Weasel." "Door Mat." "Gossip." "Conformist." "Savvy Techie." "Smooth Talker." "Nerd." "Loose Cannon."

The list can be extensive.

But if you study an organization, you often find much more of the people beneath the labels. The "Loose Cannon" may simply be bolder or have a larger view than others. The "Conformist" may bubble over with creative but repressed ideas.

The list is convenient but restrictive. Beware of regarding it as the final word.