Happy Labor Day: Ugly Betty Style

I hope all of our American readers are having a happy, safe Labor Day.  On this Labor Day in 2008, the attentions of Americans are rightly turned to the American Gulf Coast because it is facing hurricane Gustav.  Our thoughts and prayers go to all in that region.

In the spirit of Labor Day, I thought I’d post this meme: What Kind of Ugly Betty worker are you?  I’ll tell you mine after the list.  There are all sorts of working styles at Meade Publications, so certainly you can see yourself in one of these types:

• Betty – Determined to please her boss, fiercely loyal, willing to put in long hours to get the job done.  She’s not afraid, however, to tell her boss when he’s wrong, and stand her ground when appropriate.
• Amanda – The “work” part of her job is an afterthought.  Willing to do the bare minimum; more interested in office politics, humor, and romances than what she’s paid to do.
• Daniel – Extremely streaky, this type of worker is very effective when he’s not distracted.  Unfortunately, he gets distracted quite easily.
• Wilhelmina – Very driven and ambitious.  Will do anything, moral or immoral, legal or illegal, to achieve her career goals.  Extremely competent at the technical parts of her job, but most of her attentions are given to acquiring power.
• Christina - Talented and very competent.  Working in the background, she still puts family first; does not have the drive of Wilhelmina or the fierce loyalty of Betty.
• Marc – In a word, a sycophant.  Will sell his soul to help his boss, even when she is wrong or even doing evil.  Ambitious in his own right, but lives out his ambition through his boss.
• Henry – Very competent.  Not extremely ambitious, but he does his job well.  Unfortunately, family problems can drag him away from his job sometimes.  Fearless when it is required of him.
• Gio – Ambitious to a point.  He’s got a five year plan, and most everything he does is geared toward fulfilling that plan.  He can still get distracted with an office romance from time to time.
• Claire – An older worker with oodles of experience.  When she knows she’s right, she can be quite stubborn.
• Alexis - A little wishy washy, this type of worker goes back and forth between ambition and loyalty.  This causes her to make erratic decisions, some for the good, some rash.

Now, amongst the Meade employees (plus Gio), I’d say I’m closest to Christina.  Although, as the years pass, I’m getting closer and closer to being a “Claire”.

So, do you see yourself in any of the “Mode Worker Types”?