In the office, as in life, there are a wide variety of personalities we have to interact with. In our personal lives, we can pick and choose which ones we want to spend time with, and which ones we’d rather keep at arm’s length. In the workforce, however, we don’t have that luxury - we must effectively and respectfully communicate with people whose communications styles are different than ours.

Whether it’s a demanding boss, a complacent co-worker, or the office gossip, we have to learn how to respond, rather than react. Here are a few tips:

The Negative Nelly

These people have a problem for every solution. Constant complainers, they see only what could possibly go wrong in every situation. Rather than getting caught up in their pity party, acknowledge their concerns and address any that are valid. Then redirect the conversation to focus on the potentially positive outcomes and encourage your coworker to do the same.

The Gossip

We all know them, and chances are we’ve all been them at one time or another. This is the coworker who always has the inside scoop on everything from office politics to Joe in accounting’s recent divorce. Although it can be tempting to engage with this busybody, don’t. These things have a way of backfiring and chances are that anyone who’s gossiping TO you is gossiping ABOUT you. How do you handle it? Walk away when the topic gets juicy or simply change the subject. Eventually they’ll get the hint.

The Perpetual Procrastinator

If you’ve ever been paired with one of these on a project, you know that he or she will wait until the last minute to get started, which can be very frustrating to you and the rest of the team. To avoid that last minute panic, try establishing earlier deadlines for this individual so that there is plenty of wiggle room.

The Snarky Supervisor

When a person is in a leadership role, it can be difficult to address his or her snarky or rude behavior for fear of losing your job. However, if you are constantly being belittled, berated or find yourself at the brunt of your boss’ bad moods, you need to address it. Ask for a one-on-one meeting to assess your job performance. Are you not being productive? Are you not working efficiently? Are you missing deadlines? Are you constantly calling in sick? Are you not carrying your weight on group projects? If the answer is no, and the problem continues, you may need to address your concerns with human resources, or ask to be moved to a different department or team.

Blending multiple personalities and experiences in a workplace can enhance creativity and lead to new ideas. The bottom line - when dealing with multiple personalities in the workplace, view each individual objectively, focus on each person's strengths, promote positive communication, and help others do the same.