Given the amount of time you spend with your coworkers–at least eight hours a day, five days a week–it’s natural to get on each others’ nerves at some point. That’s why it’s best to stay on everyone’s good side by avoiding the most annoying workplace habits:
- Being loud. Whether it’s drumming your fingernails on your desk or having the volume on your cell phone’s ringer too high, there’s no faster way to get on someone’s nerves than by being too loud.
- Borrowing without asking. While it may not seem like a big deal to take someone’s stapler when you need to staple some papers, always respect your coworkers’ space and ask before you borrow.
- Taking personal calls. In many offices, your workspace is a small part of a larger room. That means that people can hear your conversation when you’re on the phone, and if it isn’t work-related, they’re likely to get annoyed quickly.
- Gossiping. Most people prefer to keep their personal lives separate from their professional ones, so you should always respect their privacy by not asking prying questions or talking about people behind their backs.
- Complaining. No office is perfect, but there’s no reason to constantly complain about small problems like how there’s no room in the fridge for your lunch or you couldn’t find a good parking space. Negativity is contagious, and no one wants to be around it on a day-to-day basis.
So what do you do if your coworkers are exhibiting this bad behavior and annoying you? First, take a deep breath. If it’s possible, bring up the behavior with your coworker in a pleasant and respectful way and request that they stop. If that doesn’t work, limit your contact with them and try to keep things in perspective. If an annoying coworker is the worst thing about your job, you should consider yourself relatively lucky.
Looking for more career advice, or help with taking your career in a new direction? A staffing specialist at Burnett’s Staffing will partner with you and help you achieve all of your goals. Contact us today to get started!