• Blowing smoke: This individual will frequently feed co-workers or employees insincere compliments after a heated debate, or when they feel like their co-worker has had enough. Almost like a domestic violence cycle, compliments may come after an unprofessional showing by the boss or heated co-worker.
• Disruptive management: Often debates reliable information or creative processes given by other employees, thereby obstructing the ability to make effective decisions. Makes decisions based on limited data, messes with processes and projects that are already in working order. Too many pointless meetings are being held with no set agendas or just to rehash previous discussions.
• Protects himself: Also known as "CYA" this person will spend more time covering their own tracks than moving forward in the project so nothing derogative or condemning can come back to haunt them.
• Quarterly panic: Includes behaviors such as insisting on overtime the week before the end of the quarter to ensure all quotas are met, causing mass chaos in the office before or after a vacation or long weekend and doing the "Flight of the bumblebee" in the office, making everyone feel like they are on an endless supply of caffeine.
• Ethically flexible: Involving themselves in situations that are not morally and ethically correct to further personal gain. They may not share the same flexibility when other employees make these decisions and will publically denounce the decisions of those employees.
• Closed doors: When senior officers cut themselves off from employees, their clientele and investors so they are unaware of the office tempo. Typically do not involve themselves in office parties, social discussions and are hard to schedule time with.
• Passive aggressive: Seen more between competing co-workers, this situation typically includes an employee or manager publically agreeing to a plan then doing something entirely different on their own. Also includes situations where nothing can get done unless employees go behind the boss's back.
• Title happy: Assigning titles to positions or people in order to inflate their ego, but not handing responsibility over with the title.
• Changing strategies: Overreacting to a single scenario by changing the mission statement and direction of the entire company. Frequently moving in a direction decided upon by limited data, quarterly panic issues and a need to protect herself from failure.
• Off Track: Sometimes started by meaningless tantrums, or off-topic conversations, this situation happens when an employee or manager displays childish behaviors in an adult-laden civilized work environment.
• Boss approval: The boss should have final say, but if work is not delegated and employees cannot take responsibility for tasks that do not require specific attention from the boss, it makes it difficult to move forward in strategic goals.

In situations like the above mentioned, it can be difficult to tell whether you or your workplace is dysfunctional. Most employees see themselves in one or two of these traits, but can also change their behaviors to be more efficient for their employer. If you recognize and have seen first hand more than just a couple of the above tactics in your workplace, chances are you're in for a frustrating year at work. You may want to reconsider your employment options and whether you can effectively work under the barriers in your office. A dysfunctional workplace can be harrowing on employee's creativity, performance and job happiness.