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Eccentric, lovable, scatter-brained, unconventional, forgetful and comical are just some of the adjectives that describe this modern-day court jester that is the flaky office employee. The problem may be in determining if that person is you. So often, people fail to see themselves in the same light as others do and what seems normal behavior to you, may well be considered flaky to your boss and your fellow workers around the office. Being a flaky employee is not necessarily a bad thing and can even add a bit of color to a very drab environment.

It takes a very patient and easy-going employer to put up with the flaky employee who spends the day playing the role of court jester while at the same time managing to prove themselves to be valuable, even indispensable. The flaky employee can actually bring something different to a workplace and in many ways brighten up the dreary world of nine-to-five workers. The off-the-wall character will most likely be the kind of person who attracts others and could even make others feel as though coming to work each day is worthwhile. The problem for the person who is the flaky employee in the outfit is that they may not see themselves in the same light as others do. The Scottish poet Robert Burns commented in this vein when he noted that we all have difficulty in seeing ourselves "as others see us". The flaky person is most likely just being themselves and will therefore have no reason to consider themselves odd or unusual in any way.

In the workplace, do you stand out as different among your fellow employees? Are you the loud one? Do your fellow employees look to you when there is something unusual that needs to be done? This may indicate you are the flaky one who is the front line between workers and boss. The word flaky in some circumstances could refer to someone who is mentally deranged or lacking in common sense. But it could also just be a term that relates to someone who is different from the rest, a bit unique in many respects but also loveable. Being flaky is not necessarily a bad thing provided it is kept under control and does not interfere with what you produce as an employee.

Reasonable employers will be willing to put up with oddities provided they are good at their job and continue to be productive. If on the other hand you prove to be a distraction to your fellow workers by constantly clowning around and holding up production, you would not be surprised if your employer takes some kind of action to address the

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