9 types of people who never succeed at work

9 types of people who never succeed at work9 types of people who never succeed at workExperience and knowledge are rapidly losing their relevance to success in the workplace. Harvard economist David Deming studied workplace tasks from 1980 to the present day and found that those that emphasize social skills grew by a whopping 24%, while tasks requiring technical know-how and intelligence experienced little growth. Deming also found that salaries increased the most for jobs that place extra emphasis on social skills.With the increasing emphasis on social skills, those who lack them stand out like a zebra in a field of horses. We all know the types the person who wont stop talking when youre trying to meet a deadline, the one who blatantly takes credit for your ideas, or the one who callously leaves you to pull an all-nighter to fix their mistake. The list goes on.There are a lot of otherwise intelligent people out there who cant stop shooting themselves in the foot. Sadly, their lack of self-awareness and social skills are massive detriments to their careers.Social skills and self-awareness are matters of emotional intelligence (EQ), and TalentSmarts research with over a mio people has shown that emotional intelligence is responsible for 58% of job performance. Those who lack emotional intelligence are at a significant disadvantage.Failure isnt fatal, but failure to change might be John WoodenThere are certain types of people whose lack of emotional intelligence harms their careers mora than others. By studying them, you can avoid becoming one of them, and, if your reading experience is anything like my writing experience, youll see bits of yourself in some of these profiles. Usethatknowledge to build your self-awareness, make adjustments, and grow as a person.The cowardFear is an extremely powerful motivator. This is why presidential candidates tell people that their opponent will destroy the economy and advertisements warn that smoking kills. In the workplace , people overcome by fear resort to irrational and damaging behavior. Cowardly colleagues are quick to blame others and to cover up important mistakes, and they fail to stand up for what is right.The DementorIn J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter series, Dementors are evil creatures that suck peoples souls out of their bodies, leaving them merely as shells of humans. Whenever a Dementor enters the room, it goes dark and cold and people begin to recall their worst memories. Rowling said that she developed the concept for Dementors based on highly negative people- the kind of people who have the ability to walk into a room and instantly suck the life out of it. Dementors suck the life out of the room by imposing their negativity and pessimism upon everyone they encounter. Their viewpoints are always glass half empty, and they can inject fear and concern into even the most benign situations.The arrogantArrogant people are a waste of your time because they see everything you do as a personal ch allenge. Arrogance is false confidence, and it always masks major insecurities. A University of Akron study found that arrogance is correlated with a slew of problems in the workplace. Arrogant people tend to be lower performers and more disagreeable and to have more cognitive problems than the average person.The group-thinkerGroup-thinkers choose the path of least resistance and are famous for propagating the this is how weve always done it mentality. If you find yourself getting brainwashed with what everyone else believes, be careful the status quo never leads to greatness.The short-changedThe short-changed are quick to blame their lack of accomplishment on a lack of opportunity. While a lucky break may put a little wind in a successful persons sails, they got where they are through hard work. What the short-changed dont realize is that their attitude is whats short-changing them, not their circumstances.The temperamentalSome people have absolutely no control over their emotions. They will lash out at you and project their feelings onto you, all the while thinking that youre the one causing their malaise. Temperamental people perform poorly because their emotions cloud their judgment and their lack of self-control destroys their relationships. Be wary of temperamental people when push comes to shove they will use you as their emotional toilet.The victimVictims are tough to identify because you initially empathize with their problems. But, as time passes, you begin to realize that their time of need isall the time. Victims actively push away any personal responsibility by making every speed bump they encounter into an uncrossable mountain. They dont see tough times as opportunities to learn and grow from instead, they see them as an out.The gullibleYou cant help but feel sorry for the gullible type. Theyre the ones who find themselves babysitting the bosss kids the morning after pulling a late night of work . . . on a Sunday For whatever reason, gullible peo ple (often newbies) go with the flow until the gentle river becomes a tumultuous ocean. Its okay to negotiate your salary, its okay to say no, and its okay to question the way things are done. Youll earn a lot more respect if you stand up for yourself when the time is right.The apologizerFor every person out there who owes an apology, theres another who apologizes too often. People who lack confidence are always apologizing for their ideas and actions. They fear failure and believe that apologizing will act as a safety net. Instead, unnecessary apologies cheapen their ideas and make them less likely to stick. Its important that your tone of voice and body language reflect the importance of your ideas. Stating an idea or opinion as a question is just as bad as apologizing. If you really believe something is worth sharing, then own it and share it with confidence.Bringing It All TogetherNone of these behaviors are a career death sentence because they can be eradicated through improved emotional intelligence. All it takes is a little self-awareness and a strong desire to change.Travis Bradberryis the co-author ofEmotional Intelligence 2.0,and the cofounder ofTalentSmart.This article first appeared on LinkedIn.