I'm serious - Are Your Co-Workers Driving You Crazy? Day in and day out are you sick of their annoying habits? Do they sniffle, slurp and smell their way through your day?
According to a recent study by Harris Interactive, employees rated annoying coworkers to be the second most discouraging part of going work. (Low pay was the first—surprise!) Which begs the question:
Are you the person in your office who is driving your colleagues crazy without even knowing it?
When you spend up to 40 hours a week with the same colleagues, engaging in the same tasks, it's inevitable that something will start to irritate you. Whether it's a colleague's bad habits, an unreasonable boss, or that one tedious task you must handle daily (and despise), it's bound to fray your nerves eventually. [Disclaimer: I LOVE the people in my office and on my team, they're a super awesome group and none of them are annoying at all! This article was researched and written based on previous experiences in former jobs]
If you’re like most people, sure, you'll endure it for a while, but day after day, those pesky things will bother you more and more..
Getting annoyed or angry with your co-workers doesn't do anything to solve the problem - all that does is make you feel more unhappy and less satisfied in your role.
It's the 'little' things that seem to annoy office workers the most, so today, we're looking into what the 10 most annoying things at work really are, and how you can fix them.
"The Sniffler"
Please, I'm begging you.... Stop sniffling
You really like this person you sit next to, but their all day long sniffling is doing your head in...!! You've tried putting a box of tissues on their desk, wearing headphones and trying to block out the sound - you've even tried asking about their ailment and offering a solution, but still they continue...
How To Fix: Let them know that their constant sniffling is driving you over the edge and for the sake of all that's good in the world (and your sanity) would they please use a nasal spray and/or a tissue until the issue is fixed...
"The Climate Controller"
In winter it's so hot you feel like you might get heat exhaustion, and in summer, it's so cold you're in danger of getting hypothermia. You can NEVER agree on heating or cooling with the climate controller.
How can you reach a happy medium so you're all comfortable?
How To Fix: Agree on what the temp should be for summer and winter and then stick to it. If you're sitting right underneath a vent, you may be able to block it off (check with an air conditioning expert first before doing this). Failing that - in winter, dress in layers, so if it's unbearably hot, you can peel off a layer or two, in summer keep something that you can leave in the office and throw on when you start to get cold.
"Negative Ned (or Nelly)"
If you've ever worked with someone who has complained day in and day out, you know how wearing that can be. The thing is, if you don't say anything to the offenders - they'll just keep doing it.
Why?
Because chances are, they don't even know that they're chronic complainers. You see like anything, complaining can become a habit - a bad one.
How To Fix: When I was researching this article, I found a great answer to this - it's from The Chief Happiness Officer Blog. What they suggested was to actually give empathy to the complainer -
“You know, that sounds terrible. I don’t know how you deal with all of these problems.”
This approach works because it gives the complainer what they're really after: Empathy. Not cheering up, not solutions, not egging-on. Just understanding of what is, for them, a difficult situation.
"Smelly Lunches"
I once worked 1 desk away from someone who alternated her lunch choices between a tinned tuna sandwich, and curried egg....
Awww come ON!
Needless to say, the area around our desks was incredibly stinky, and although it didn't bother her in the slightest, it really bothered the rest of the team.
How To Fix: We literally had to have an 'intervention' and ask all staff to use their lunch breaks as a time to get out of the office, stretch their legs and eat their lunches. It 'kind of' worked... (she still occasionally ate at her desk)...
"The Cubicle Peeper/Busy Body"
They're the busy body who wants to know what you're working on even if it has nothing to do with them.
They'll want to see what's on your screen, the papers on your desk and they will keep track of your phone calls, and then give you their 2 cents worth of unwanted advice. They're kind of a cross between a know it all, a busy body and a giant pain in the a**...
How To Fix: Tackle this one straight on and ask them if they're looking for something specific... Once they know you're on to them, they'll often curtail their 'peeping' and interfering.
"The Office Gossip"
They absolutely LOVE to chat about everyone else at the office - the boss, the owners, their co-workers - nothing and no-one is safe... The problem with the 'gossipers' is that all too often they get caught out and then that creates enormous stress and tension in the workplace.
How To Fix: Don't be the 'Enabler' - they can't gossip if you don't listen - so don't give them an audience, and don't get pulled into their dramas.
"The 'Reply-All' Fanatics"
Yes, they've made this list because...
...life is too short to read every email they THINK you need to read!!!
How To Fix: You know you want to do it.... create a rule and send those emails to where the sun don't shine - ... your junk mail folder..
"The Martyr"
You know who you are. You eagerly take on extra work and then as soon as the boss' back is turned, you complain about your workload.
You're also often the same person who shuffles into the office when you're a sick as a dog - because, you're a trooper.
Listen, we ALL give you permission to keep your germs to yourself - stay at home and don't come back to the office until you're well..
How To Fix: Make a note of above and send it to everyone in the office.
"The "How Was Your Weekend" Conversation
How To Fix: Sorry... I've got nothin' for you on this one..
"Dirty Bathrooms"
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And finally. If your work bathrooms are a dirty, dusty hellhole that are just a step up from a truck-stop bathroom on the way from an 8 hour bus trip from Hurghada to Cairo(trust me from my own personal experience, not a pretty site) then you have every reason to be complaining.
You shouldn't have to put up with that at work...
How To Fix: I'm happy to say this is a very easy fix. Get the boss to spring for great cleaners that you can rely on - as a matter of fact, you can reach out to our amazing team at Cleancorp right here. We service businesses right across Australia and New Zealand...