Friday OT #2 - The Water Cooler

[CRcyclone6]

Smoke breaks drive me insane.

 

[cyclone101]

Listening to something without earbuds. Everyone else in the office is listening to their music or podcasts or audiobooks or whatever with earbuds, why can't you? That mandatory online training module on ethics/harassment/safety... whatever it is this month. Yeah, I already took that. And I completed it with earbuds. I wasted that 30 minutes of my life already, why are you making me listen to it again? Go to Walmart and GET SOME EARBUDS! You can get them for like $5. Heck, expense them! I'm sure they'll get approved as office supplies.

 

[MeanDean]

Rambling personal story lady. I'm all for a little office chit-chat, but this woman's stories routinely take 30 minutes and they all suck. Complete inability to read non-verbal cues as well. I've tried everything I can to put off the "I'm not listening..." vibe without actually saying it. Looking at my phone. Responding to e-mails. Opening up files and looking at them. But I'm afraid I'm not far from having to move from non-verbal to verbal cues.

If there are other workers within earshot there is a solution. At least this worked when I was in an office environment. They should notice woman X at your work station. They should call your phone and you pretend it's a very important work call. Completely ignore the woman until she goes away. We called them 'rescue' calls.

 

[madguy30]

1. Rambling coworker who takes three times the amount of time that should be required to explain their situation and what they need.
2. Coworker who asks you the same question repeatedly and never remembers the answer.
3. Coworker who cannot read obvious body language saying that you're busy and need to wrap it up and get back to what you are doing.

In my office, all three of those are combined into one person.

Had a co-worker (turned supervisor somehow) that was the same among all sorts of other things.

Add in things like sending super long, 3 paragraph emails when all it needed to say was '______ called, please call them at __________' OR even better, title email 'call from ________' and put the number and reason in the email.

 

[cowgirl836]

The hoverer. Comes up to your shoulder and instead of saying Hi like a normal person, stands behind you until you turn to acknowledge them.

 

[BCClone]

The hoverer. Comes up to your shoulder and instead of saying Hi like a normal person, stands behind you until you turn to acknowledge them.

Do they sniff your hair?

 

[madguy30]

The conflict or problem seeker.

Those that can't keep themselves from either seeking out conflict with other people, or doing things to make simple tasks more complicated.

If a job is simple, the goal should be to keep it simple.

 

[cowgirl836]

Do they sniff your hair?

Don't let them get that close before spinning round in my chair like it's the Voice or something