The Aggressive Go-Getter March 29, 2012
Posted by humbug27 in Company, Courtesy, Etiquette, General, Uncategorized, Work, workers.Tags: co-workers, Organizations, workplace attitude, workplace behavior
add a comment
Most jobs involve interacting with people of multiple backgrounds and personalities. Some colleagues are easy to get along with, while others are simply a nightmare. It’s no secret that it takes quite a bit of skill to handle all of the idiosyncrasies found in the workplace. My nightmare co-worker is one I like to call the “aggressive go-getter.” This person expects everything to be done on their terms, regardless of circumstance. They aren’t sensitive to your time and the list of other responsibilities you have. They are completely comfortable overstepping their boundaries and telling you what you need to do and when. As this person once said to me after asking me to do something, “I don’t want to hear any excuses.” And if you happen to fall short of their mark, there will be hell to pay. This person is extremely pushy, fake, condescending, and obnoxious. She always has something repugnant to say and it never adds any value. She doesn’t care if everyone sees her as enemy. She feels completely justified in riding co-workers into the ground. In reality, she is killing morale and productivity with her suffocating approach. Confronting her directly is no use because she doesn’t listen to anyone. Speaking with her boss hasn’t worked either. My patience is running thin and diplomacy isn’t working. While I know that something needs to be done, I fear that time is running out.
The Bluetooth Wearing Mailman March 15, 2012
Posted by humbug27 in Etiquette, General, opinions, Protocol, thoughts, Uncategorized, Work.Tags: Bluetooth, cell phones, mailman, observation, opinions, standards, workplace behavior
add a comment
My mailman is always talking on his bluetooth headset when he delivers my mail. I don’t think it’s a coincidence either. He’s really loud too and I can hear him from inside my house. He’s actually startled me a couple of times. Sometimes I think he’s a stranger who’s about to kick my door in and ransack the place. I recently began to wonder if he’s breaking protocol with his cellphone chatter. In my opinion, he is. I may be alone here, but I don’t think he should be talking on his phone. Granted, I don’t supervise his entire route, but I suspect he’s doing plenty of talking throughout. Call it a hunch.
I understand that the argument can be made that it doesn’t matter because he works alone. However, whether he works alone or not, he’s still at work. Why should he be allowed to make personal calls at will? Most, if not all jobs, would rule it unsavory to make personal phone calls throughout the day. Why is being a mailman any exception? I don’t even know why it bothers me to be honest, it just does. I think it’s unprofessional and indecent in a way. Maybe it bothers me because I feel like standards in the workplace are slowly dissolving. It seems like the lines between our personal and professional lives are blurring. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that you can’t tell who people are talking to when they walk past with their headsets in their ears. I find it to be pretty awkward when I acknowledge as though they’re talking to me, only to be ignored. Cast aside for the voice inside of their ear. It kinda makes me feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick…
A Clear Lack of Courtesy March 10, 2012
Posted by humbug27 in Courtesy, Etiquette, General, Life, opinions, Patience, people, thoughts.Tags: Courtesy, disrespectful, Etiquette, General, Inconsiderate, Manners, patience, Rudeness, waiting in line
1 comment so far
What does it mean to be courteous? One definition of the word courteous is: having or showing good manners; polite. Manners can be defined as: ways of behaving with reference to polite standards. Therefore, we can assume that a courteous person is someone who has good manners and behaves politely. By definition, it’s a pretty straightforward concept if you ask me. It doesn’t seem that difficult to accomplish. In theory, we could all be courteous people who are polite and considerate of others. However, we don’t live in theory; we live in reality. And in reality, there are lots of rude people who don’t give a damn about you, me, or the next guy.
My inspiration for this posting is a woman who I was recently behind at a fast food drive-thru. After this woman ordered, she pulled up just shy of the pay window and stopped. After about 3o seconds, I thought something was wrong with her car. Turns out, I was sadly mistaken my friends. Her car was fine; she just decided to stop and make a phone call. No problem, take your time… it’s not like there’s anyone behind you. Apparently she couldn’t talk and finish her transaction at the same time. Her phone conversation went on for over 2 minutes! That’s an eternity in drive-thru terms. Especially when you consider that she wasn’t waiting for ANYBODY! Now how do you think I reacted to this rude road blocker?
Did I yell at her from my window? No. Did I blast my horn until she moved? No. Did I push her car forward with mine? No. Did I drive off in a huff? No. I’ll tell you exactly what I did. I sat in my car and wondered who she was talking to. I wondered how long the call would carry on. I wondered what kind of phone she had. I wondered what was so important that she had to make that phone call. I kinda felt like I had a right to know. I wondered if she even noticed that I was behind her. I wondered if she wondered why I wasn’t honking. I wondered if she would have honked at me if we switched places. I wondered what food she ordered. I wondered if this was the first time she had done this. I wondered how long I would be willing to wait before I left. I sat there and wondered, patiently waiting for her. I was amused by her lack of courtesy. I couldn’t pull myself away. I had to see it to the end.
