![]() But for some, it's not just the little ones who struggle with the social side of things. Going into a new, usually much bigger place than they're used to, having to sit and do as they're told and trying to make new friends can be daunting. Sometimes, to work in an office is to compromise on such matters.It's a nerve-racking time when your children start school. If you can come up with a reasonable request, give it your best shot. In both cases: Consider how you would want to be approached if someone else had a problem with some habit of yours that you figure is none of their business. If someone in earshot starts clipping, take a coffee break. So if you approach someone’s desk, and find a clipper incident in progress, come back later. I can’t believe that this happening office-wide, around the clock. The alternative is to get over it - which is what I’d suggest on the fingernail-clipping issue. And perhaps suggest a compromise: Could he try a quieter snack, or maybe limit his nut intake to certain times of day? Be polite and respectful, but firm. Assure him that there is nothing personal in this. He might think it’s an over-the-top joke that he’ll dismiss, or he’ll be insulted and ignore you.Įxplain that you understand he enjoys his snack, but you hope that he will understand that the sound really distracts you. But berating him, or telling him he’s disgusting, is not likely to be persuasive. ![]() You, or someone, must talk to the pistachio fan. So I feel your irritation, but unfortunately there’s no magic technique to change another person’s habits. To work in an office is to spend a good chunk of your waking hours surrounded by people you never set out to spend time with. How does one handle such unsanitary behavior? Oh, and also: Some of my co-workers (male and female) clip their fingernails at work! Just the sound of this makes me nauseous. Any suggestions for getting him to eat his snacks at home, or more quietly, or not at all? ![]() Others have told him it’s disgusting to see the shells all over his desk, but to no avail. It’s so annoying, I feel as if I’m sitting next to a chipmunk. The guy next to me in the office cracks pistachios all day. Just make sure you focus on what it all means for the enterprise, not on who likes whom - or, unfortunately, you’re the one who will end up sounding like a middle schooler. That person should want this resolved, too. I don’t think the top boss is the person to start with, but the suggestion that you should avoid bringing such concerns to the head of the organization sounds fishy. Human resources, and management generally, should want to know if employee X has been given responsibility Y even though employee Z is an objectively better choice. Tangible examples of decisions that are having a negative impact - and could have been avoided if the boss’s views weren’t skewed by a small pack of cronies - are very much the company’s problem. Hurt feelings about getting left out of the lunch bunch or karaoke night are not the company’s problem. Yet he does nothing to get to know staff members outside his group to find out what they are really like. He not only hears, but also engages in and promotes, gossip about employees outside this clique, and he makes professional decisions about who gets certain responsibilities based on that gossip.Īn administrator who is lower on the chain of command has discussed this with him, but the executive director sees no problem: He feels his opinions are correct. The problem is that our executive director has chosen to hang out with one such group in particular for lunch and occasionally after hours. As in all workplaces, friendship groups have formed, sometimes just on the job, but sometimes beyond that. I work at an agency with a stressful caseload, but where most of us are committed to doing our best for our clients. The Workologist is a guy with well-intentioned opinions, not a professional career adviser. Send your workplace conundrums to including your name and contact information (even if you want it withheld).
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