Workmate habits that drive you mad
Working with others can sometimes be a pain in the neck particularly if your colleagues have bad habits or are thoughtless or possibly selfish. Unfortunately unless you want to leave your job you will just have to put up with your co-workers, at the same time you need to look at your own habits that others could consider workplace faux pas. Here are some habits that drive people crazy and how you can keep your sanity:
Your workmate is constantly late for meetings
One or two late arrivals over the course of several weeks can be excused. But constant lateness is both rude and a show of poor time management. Don’t enable this slacker by filling them in on the part of the meeting they missed suggest they get to meetings on time in the future.
Your workmate is disruptive during online meetings
Video conference or team meetings need attendees to be as attentive as they would be in a in-person meeting. A disruptive person is basically a pain in the neck. The way to deal with this is to ask their opinion on what is being discussed to see if they are paying attention, this will soon show up anyone playing around.
Your workmate is a pen tapper
This nervous tic is a nuisance to everyone within hearing distance. What’s more the fidgety offender is often oblivious to the annoyance. The way to deal with this is to turn the issue into a joke by saying something like “Does anyone else hear that woodpecker in the background.”
Your workmate openly discusses personal problems
Let’s face it some people have very loose personal boundaries. But sometimes a workmate may just need to take someone into their confidence. Give yourself permission to voice your discomfort if a colleague tells you too much. Be there for a workmate in crisis, but suggest a more professional sounding board for issues outside your knowledge of that are too personal.
Your workmates constantly asks you to clarify things
This can be really irritating particularly if you are working in a fast-paced environment. In these circumstances someone who absorbs information slowly can really get on your nerves. Instead of repeating yourself all the time ask what your workmate does not understand. Sometimes given a moment to sort through what may have initially seemed under your colleague may realise they actually know what they are doing.
Your workmate stinks
While poor hygiene is off putting, it can be the result of any number of personal issues you aren’t privy to. You must use sensitivity and compassion when dealing with this. Speak to your workmate privately, you don’t want to embarrass of humiliate your colleague. Gently tell them what their problem is, there is a good chance they are totally unaware that they smell.
Your workmate constantly interrupts
Too often people who constantly interrupt do it in order to negate what someone else has to say, it can be a bit of a power game. If you are the one who is interrupted steer the conversation back to you as soon as possible. A good way to do this is when your workmate is waffling on just interrupt them as they did you.
Your workmate has half-baked ideas
Often when a workmate offers up vague and impractical ideas it shows one of two things, the person is inexperienced or is a show off who just wants to be part of the decision making group. Tempting though it is to ignore this person, the best way of dealing with them is to ask them to explain how their idea will work. They will soon realise their idea isn’t fully formed and back down.
Your workmate keeps asking for donations for pet causes
Charitable needs in the world are innumerable and its very noble to support a cause that’s close to your heart. The problem is that when a workmate approaches you for a donation for their favourite cause you feel pressured to give something, but is that right. Frankly you have two choices you either say no or you say you’ll give to their cause if they give to yours. However, don’t feel pressured to give if you don’t want to.
To summarise just like family you can’t choose your workmates and as in any relationship there should be some positives and some negatives, so hopefully your troublesome workmate does have some good elements. If however your nightmare workmate is abusive or is harassing, you then you need to make a formal complaint to your manager or the HR team.
Good luck.