When managers tell me they have "dingbats" working in their office, I am surprised because they are the ones that hired the dingbats to begin with.

When hiring, many managers meet someone for an interview and think they know the person based on a few minutes together. They make a major decision to hire after only one interview. (Would you marry someone after the first date? Well, some do. But most would agree it is not a great idea). Remember, anyone can appear normal during an interview. You’re asked silly questions, a pulse is checked, and bingo! You’re hired. After the first day on the job, passion quickly fades to everyday stress and the need to perform.

Here are the five clues that determine whether or not you work with a dingbat:

1. They always have an excuse to not work. They are always trying a new way to avoid the work that affects them throughout each day.
2. They are selfish. They only care about themselves. If they help someone else, it is because it benefits them, too.
3. They blame others for their own mistakes so they can raise their own stock value. These same people go around and start rumors because it helps people not look at them.
4. They have a bad attitude. They are grumpy or seem to have a reason to be in a bad mood. (Worse are the people who are really friendly and upbeat when the manager is around, before their evil twin appears.)
5. They don’t play well with others. Typically dingbats only like other dingbats. So you will rarely see them in groups of people. You may have a small group of them, because once they find each other, they will stick together like glue.