Tests to work out incompatible employees.

Many offices mirror family life, complete with sibling rivalry. There is the boss (the dad or mom), then the employees (the children). In the family, the young siblings compete for their parents' attention and try to manipulate the environment to become the favored child or, even worse, try to get the other kids punished.

Most people grow out of this behavior, but in some cases it is carried through adulthood and into the workplace. These antics often are disguised by sophisticated smoke screens, but, when exposed, are recognized as the immature conduct of early childhood. The most common is the self-serving time thief who offers the employer a slanted view of other employees' activities--often to divert attention from his or her own misdeeds.

Workers come from varied backgrounds and frequently possess dissimilar values. It's like putting a family-based sitcom together without the scriptwriters busy in the background making sure everyone plays nicely. However, if employees aren't playing nicely, who wants to be the one to let the employer know? Aren't most of us uncomfortable about turning in a time stealer, pilferer, or outright thief? What if it's the boss' favorite nephew? How do you report that? Isn't it easier just to find a new job? It could save a lot of anxiety. Although we all may have had that thought at one time, that is not the solution. These users are present wherever you work, creating havoc and resentment in the employment arena, just as they did in their family relationships.

"There tends to be a sense of community in the workplace, and good relationship skill are no longer a luxury, but a qualification for effective job performance," points out Las Vegas, Nev., industrial psychologist Gregory M. Lousig-Nont. "Without good relationships, work will simply not get done."

An entire office suffers when employees manipulate the environment to suit themselves. Good examples of this are sociopaths. They are unable to conform to company policies and may demonstrate a complete lack of social responsibility. They seek instant gratification...