Grumpy Coworker

Category: Etiquette

Etiquette

  • Leave the stuff that’s not yours alone!

    How hard is it to leave other people’s things alone?  What is this, 2nd grade?

    I could understand if you had a non-descript Lean Cuisine or Hot Pocket that you put in the freezer and accidentally grabbed the someone else’s flavor, or miscounted how many you had put in there and grabbed someone else’s when your stash was actually depleted.

    No.

    I’m not even talking about mistaking a lone donut on the break room table for a giveaway.

    I’m talking about:

    • Perusing items in the donation bin for a charity.
    • Actually taking things from the donation bin for a charity.
    • Grabbing food from the freezer that is in a box that is clearly someone else’s.
    • Any food in a brown bag in the refrigerator.
    • Any food that’s on someone’s desk–especially if someone has already taken a bite out of it.

    Is the company not paying you enough to get by?  Judging by the maturity of your social skills, you’re probably still overpaid.

  • On parking your Tahoe

    i park like an idiot
    Image courtesy of i park like an idiot.com

    If I find an $80,000 sports car parked 2 feet over the line, taking up the last 2 available spaces in the row, I might think, “Well, you’re an idiot for driving that to work, but ok.”

    But a Chevy Tahoe?

    Let me get this straight; I have to park my average car in the far section in the rain, because your new Tahoe is scared of a door ding?

    Remember the days when trucks and SUV’s were tough, manly things, and proud to look the part? Inventions of American ruggedness?

    “Oh, please, please, don’t scratch my shiny new Tahoe!”
    Pathetic.

  • I want my crappy coffee; I need my crappy coffee

    A person might not be evil for planning a large team meeting in the break room. Or placing a makeshift sign on the door informing me that a meeting is in progress and I am not invited.

    But when said meeting occurs between 7:30a.m. and 9:30a.m. on a Monday morning … I know I am dealing with pure evil. Who in their right mind would place a barrier between dozens of Monday-morning workers and their crappy break room coffee? Too much of this, and a grumpy coworker uprising is inevitable.

  • My name is as my business card or LinkedIn profile states.

    Those who have worked with me, went to school with me, or are friends or family have leeway in how they address me.  They’ve earned it by going through things with me or just by putting up with me.

    If you are a vendor making a cold or warm contact via e-mail, you can either use a formal address using my last name, or you may be bold and use my first name as on my business card, LinkedIn profile, or as spelled out in my e-mail address.  Note that a difference between the two may indicate specific preferences about how I prefer to be addressed.

    If you use a nickname that is never used in any of my contact information, you’re making some big assumptions about the familiarity of our relationship.  They’re also called “incorrect assumptions”.

  • Oh the noise… Cell phone ringers

    Ah, I remember when a digital beep pattern was the norm for the cell phone. Then, cell phones started coming with preprogrammed “tunes”, that were just a variation on that beep pattern.

    At various points in time, using a voice recording, midi, or music file for a phone ringer were all novel. Occasionally, some fun or catchy sound or song comes along, and we are tempted to use it as our full time ringer. Unfortunately, the company is not paying you to amuse or entertain us, the coworkers. Maybe if you’re a comedian, clown, musician, you entertain patrons or clients–but I doubt those people resort to ringtones.

    Besides, “Gold Digger” and “I Kissed a Girl” ringtones make things awkward. Use a plain ringer and turn it down or put it on vibrate. Otherwise, I’m going to have to go Office Space on your phone.