Office spat turned to immature antics

Q: I share a cubicle with an extremely irritating coworker. When I’m on the phone with customers, “Shelly” frequently interrupts my conversation with corrections. I finally had enough of this and stopped speaking to her. Shelly retaliated by putting a sign on her computer saying “She won’t talk to me,” with an arrow pointing at my desk.

Last week, Shelly and I had a nasty argument after she interrupted another call. When I told her to back off and mind her own business, she called me an ugly name and said I was impossible to work with. This happened in front of several other coworkers.

No matter what I do, Shelly seems determined to embarrass me. Giving her the cold shoulder didn’t work, and fighting hasn’t helped. Should I ask management to get involved?

A: One would hope that mature adults with responsible jobs would have abandoned such childish antics, but that is obviously not the case.

I will grant you that Shelly sounds like an intrusive busybody. However, your response to her meddling has only served to escalate the conflict. So let’s take a moment to explore your contribution to this ongoing office drama.

While your passive-aggressive pouting had the intended effect of annoying Shelly, refusing to speak made any resolution impossible. When her rudeness continued, your angry confrontation just added fuel to the fire. If you complain to management, they may question your own maturity, so it’s time to try a more conciliatory approach.

If Shelly complies, just listen to her comments without arguing or debating, and then thank her for the feedback. But should she continue to interrupt, ignore her completely.