Do you have a Drama Queen or King? You know the type… They like to make dust bunnies just so they can vacuum them up in a dramatic fashion?
Characteristics: Wants the whole world to know what’s happening in their lives and ever ready to share openly the ups and downs. Quite similar to the emotional peaks and troughs observed in the characters of soap operas like General Hospital or Dallas.
Traits to look out for: These employees are generally extroverts and highly outgoing. They have strong and inflated egos; are highly frank communicators and direct to the point, possibly curt and definitely assertive. They are also likely to have a strong yearn for praise, acceptance and the feeling of being valued, hence may also be seen as an attention seeker.
Negative side: They take up a lot of their own energy and time to be the centre of attention and cause others to be dragged into the drama as well. They tend to make a mountain out of molehill and take constructive criticism negatively.
How to manage: Drama Queens/Kings need to focus on their priorities and manage performance and have clearly defined milestones set out for them. Last resort – ignore their theatrics and don’t pay attention to them.
While this personality type may already be walking around your organisation – and causing stress on the company’s time and resources – it’s important for organisations to take measures to avoid future costly mistakes. And this is where a strategic HR manager comes in; as opposed to an operational HR manager who focuses on processes and compliance, a strategic HR manager looks at the bigger picture in the organisation, and focuses on the best strategies and tactics on how to curb toxic behaviours within the organisation.
Traditional hiring techniques may not offer the results you’re looking for. What’s more, interviewing as well as other traditional hiring techniques may not be adequate to weed out toxic assets. Using the Harrison Assessment can help you avoid hiring Drama Kings and Queen’s or help you manage the Drama King/Queen who is already working for your company.