Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Office etiquette W
Do a check to ensure you are not guilty of these annoyances
hen it comes to annoying co-workers, everyone has been there. A survey of 2,000 Americans by Olivet Nazarene University found that 100 percent of respondents reported being irritated by co-workers on the job, which is not surprising because nobody’s perfect.
The most common offenses were loudness and complaining (49 percent), gossiping and bullying (32 percent), bathroom and eating habits (12 percent), email and meeting habits (6 percent) and, finally, personal hygiene issues (1 percent).
Whether or not to speak up about said annoying behavior is also an issue, and 71 percent of employees admit that they have been confronted by a colleague about their own annoying behavior.
The offenses can be serious enough to drive employees out the door.
A study found that “1 in 8 people will leave an organization because of (incivility) and not report it,” Christine Porath, an associate professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and the author of “Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace,” told Entrepreneur. Porath collaborated on a survey that found 80 percent of participants who experienced impoliteness lost work time worrying about sarcastic replies, eye rolls, condescension and other rude behavior.
Fortunately, most offenses are minor and can be corrected easily. This is a great time to review some of the most common ways that colleagues aggravate each other and how to do an honest assessment of your own behavior.
Improvements to the working environment are always welcome, so if you recognize yourself in any of these typical office annoyances, correct yourself.
Noise makers
Sighing, throat clearing, humming, whistling, knuckle cracking, gum snapping, chewing loudly, typing furiously and finger tapping are mindless habits that can become overwhelmingly annoying over time. Think of those around you, especially if you work in an open-office plan.
Loud talkers
Whether chatting with other coworkers or talking on the phone, you need to be cognizant of your noise level if you are in an open-concept office without the sound protection that a wall offers.
Keep in mind that your colleagues need silence now and then to focus on their work. If people around you put in their ear buds when you start speaking, that likely means you are being too loud.
Many people tend to talk more loudly when they’re on the phone, so if you have a phone conversation scheduled, consider moving to a conference room or some other private space. Also taboo: using a speakerphone so you don’t have to hold the phone. This is only acceptable behind closed doors where the sound will not bother anyone else.
Germ spreaders
If you are someone who doesn’t wash your hands before cooking in the office kitchen or after visiting the restroom, you can be sure that people notice. They’ll also be glaring at you as you stick your hand into the candy dish to fish out your favorite chocolate after coughing or sneezing.
And, if a cold, the flu or strep throat have struck, stay home. That’s why sick days were invented.
Conversation monopolizers
Almost every office has at least one person who is infatuated with the sound of his or her own voice and tends to dominate meetings and even casual chit-chat by the Keurig.
If you find that people don’t say much when you talk to them, it may be because you are speaking without pause. Ask questions, practice listening and give other people a chance to talk. Show interest in something besides yourself.
Food offenders
There are so many ways your eating habits may be repulsing your co-workers. Be sure to clean up after yourself when using the office kitchen by taking care of any spills, microwave splatters, crumbs and dirty dishes when you’re done.
Nothing is worse than sitting down to a greasy table with crumbs left behind by your co-workers. OK, leaving your food in the fridge until it becomes a science experiment is worse.
Also, if you dip into the communal candy dish and never contribute, you are a food offender.
Distracting details
If people can tell you are around the corner based on the overbearing scent of your cologne or the jangle of your jewelry, it’s time to make a change. Go easy on the perfume or cologne, or, given the sensitivities many people have toward scent, avoid it altogether at work.
Wear clothing and jewelry that won’t stand out in a negative way. The sounds from your comfortable flip-flops are not only annoying but also unprofessional.
Finally, it may behoove you to do your own investigation. Ask your co-workers what you do that needs improvement. Make the query light and upbeat. You may find you are doing something that can be easily changed.
I asked my associates and was told that I’m an office yeller. I don’t use the intercom system as much as I should, and I tend to yell from my office to the next when I have a quick question. Point taken.
In my defense, I have a good attitude and occasionally bring in doughnuts.