Success is measured by your ability to get things done through relationships, which means you’ll be expected to achieve results regardless of how well you get along with other people.

Although it’s not easy, you can learn to work collaboratively with almost anyone once you understand the guiding principles that contribute to a productive relationship. To start with, you’ll need to accept that people bring differing points of view to the same task.

Seeing things differently is just one of many barriers that push people apart when they need to pull together. Breaking down these barriers requires that you consider new ways of working with people whose views and beliefs are different than yours.

What follows is a set of simple practices that will help you build a constructive relationship with just about anyone—even those you think are idiots. But before we get to that, let’s look first at some unique personalities that will drive you nuts unless you learn how to accept them as is.

Whiners

Before you tune out a whiner be aware that whining is a sign that he or she is asking for help. Given the fast-paced, demanding nature of the modern workplace, where everyone is expected to adjust rapidly and respond accurately under pressure, it’s a wonder more people aren’t whining.

Whining for some people is a safe way to convey their feelings of rejection without pointing the finger directly. What you would really like to do is tell these whiners to grow up and get back to work. That wouldn’t do any good even if it were an accepted behavior. What you need to do instead is get these folks to join in solving your problem rather whine about their own.

Slackers

As a rule of thumb, the more importance is placed on meeting goals and producing quality work, the more achievers complain about their backsliding coworkers. As tempting as it is to get rid of the dead wood; firing people for nonperformance is rarely effective. That’s because when slackers get wind that their performance is being monitored, they’ll pick up the pace just long enough to survive close scrutiny. Once the threat has passed, they return to business as usual.

Slackers have mastered the art of just doing enough to get by so don’t expect them to give much thought to improving their relationships with you.

Misfits

Does the same problem keep coming back to you despite your coworker’s promise to take care of it? Welcome to the world of misfits where people turn in work that is partially completed or poorly done, hoping someone else will fix it. Other misfit-type behaviors include coworkers with harmful habits, poor organization skills, or no self-confidence.

Misfits also have a history of making bad personal choices. Although such behavior is not new, it is becoming more commonplace and increasingly difficult to manage. Misfits lack the self-esteem to deal openly with coworkers, so they resist structured activities, tend to avoid responsibility, and prefer to be left alone to work at their own pace.

Loners

You probably take it for granted that coworkers will work together cooperatively. The truth is that a significant number of people don’t know how to collaborate — it’s something they’ve never been taught. Seeking opportunities for individual achievement, they sign on for a job valuing only what they can do for themselves. Cooperating with you holds no importance.

Loners believe that asking someone for help is cheating. As far back as they can remember, anyone caught “copying from others” was punished both at school and at home.