How do you deal with dull/annoying colleagues?

[Thora]

I would find it difficult to say that.
A colleague was rude to her once and she went batshit.
I now have a plan though - she freaked out when she saw the office mouse and went and hid for hours, so the next time, all I need to do is say 'LOOK BEHIND YOU! A MOUSE!'

Then I would say "Sorry, but do you mind if we chat later? I really need quiet while I eat - I know it's silly isn't it! I'm always been like this since I was little" *apologetic smile*

Whenever else she tries to chat to you, just try some variation on, "can we chat later? I have an awful headache/am really behind on my work/had some terrible news today and want to be alone. I'm really sorry".

 

[panpete]

She reminds me of you actually

hahahhahhha If she is like me, she will respond to polite firmness. This isnt rude. Tempting as it is to feel like saying "pi$$ off"
People like this are thick in the presence of others, no matter how bright in their own right.

A colleague was rude to her once and she went batshit.

The aggressive type of batshit, or the timid type? (crying)
I was the latter, but both types are fucke-edup.

Firmness with no apology, is polite, and is not rude, thats all that is needed.

 

[Crispy]

Fart

 

[Badger Kitten]

I was abuot about to post that. Yeah, farting works a treat

 

[Orang Utan]

People are always farting in my office!

 

[May Kasahara]

Follow through.

 

[Badger Kitten]

My boss did that once

 

[Orang Utan]

My boss did that once

You must have been banging on terribly

 

[soulman]

Followed with a smile

 

[MikeMcc]

Just avoid them, it's what everbody does with me...

 

[Schmetterling]

I can sympathise also.

There is one college security guard where I work who always pops into the library on 'his rounds' to have a chat when I'm on the enquiries desk. I cant really move from where I am cos I am meant to be there. I try to look studiously at urban on my monitor and look busy o) but he still doesnt get the message.

He makes me feel uncomforable sometimes and is just plain annoying... he hovers around, asks me how I am constantly, asks intrusive questions willy nilly which I palm off and he plays with the ringtones on his phone/ messes around with his walkie-talkie loadly to get attention when my collegues are around.

He's worse than the students sometimes for disruptions it's not like we can chuck him out like we do with distruptive students.

Weeeell; he can't really get his willy out and show and tell, can he? So the ringtones on the phone will have to do.

 

[ddraig]

i have to listen the same inane conversations about 'all men are...','i need to win the lottery/get a new job' (even though they have a cushy job and don't do half the work they should','went to boots this weekend and got....' whilst playing with their hair and making unfunny comments on how much work they've done and can they go home now and how slowly the week is going.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh.

i have requested a labotomy so i don't care so much but reall really would like to find a way of dealing with it!

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

lean in close and hiss in a meancing but level tone with purpose under no circumstances am i ever going to fuck you. ever. then look away and continue what you are doing when she tries to say anythign after that pause look her back dead in the eyes and repeat ever, raising the mencing tone each time.

 

[Idaho]

Put a music player on (or indeed just the headphones in). When she talks to you pretend you haven't heard.

 

[looneytune]

I would just say "I like quiet while I'm eating".

Have you tried eating in front of your computer so that you can turn around and say, "I'm trying to read this [email, document, etc] at the moment, sorry." Just as long as something likely is open on the desktop, You don't actually have to be reading it for this to work.

 

[dodgepot]

print this thread off and leave it on her desk.

 

[Sweaty Betty]

My nemesis is a 40 yr old virgin still at home with mummy and daddy rent free who dreams of a threesome with goofy and michael bublee

TODAY--- she is in reception telling the world how wonderful she is because she has never claimed benefit and those that have( direct swipe at me) should have worked bloody harder and not been a scrounger

I couldnt contain myself--so i called her an insensitive muppet and tipped my coffee over her post......

HR are coming end of week........

 

[moomoo]

My nemesis is a 40 yr old virgin still at home with mummy and daddy rent free who dreams of a threesome with goofy and michael bublee

TODAY--- she is in reception telling the world how wonderful she is because she has never claimed benefit and those that have( direct swipe at me) should have worked bloody harder and not been a scrounger.

I couldnt contain myself--so i called her an insensitive muppet and tipped my coffee over her post......

HR are coming end of week........

Good for you.

What will HR do? A warning? Worth it I reckon.

 

[Detroit City]

There's this lass who never stops talking - today she nattered on WHILE I WAS TRYING TO EAT and she's soulcrushingly boring.
How do I deflect her without being rude?

just say you have to go to the bathroom every time she comes around (assuming its not work related)....

 

[snackhead]

Challenge everything she says but sound bored while you're doing it and don't look her in the eyes. She'll soon move on.

Or as soon as she starts give her your friendliest smile and walk away slowly. If she follows you head for the toilet.

That would hurt her feelings

I understand, it'll have to be plan C then . Let me have a little chat alone with her, 5 minutes tops should do it.........................

 

[Felina]

This man used to sit opposite me in a place I used to work and he did not stop going on at me. From 9-5 the little creep would talk shit all day. I moved my monitor once in a hope to deter him by concealing my face (didn't work he just started popping his head round the side of it!), I even started wearing headphones on my lunch break but he'd tap me and asked me what music I liked. ARGH!! If I had a magazine - he'd want to read it with me. He'd ask what was in my sandwich etc etc ETC

Thank god I was only there temporarily, could not have stood him permanently! I have no advice as there is usually nothing you can do when you're trapped in an office with these feckers!!

 

[Sweaty Betty]

Good for you.

What will HR do? A warning? Worth it I reckon.

NO....she reported me

HR have a history with her, but nothing happens, our company never sack, but no fucker has constructively dismissed her either........

Everyone knows what she is like but they just put up with it---im fuckin not anymore

 

[Cloo]

just distractedly say things like'hmm' whens she's talking......and barely conceal your lack of interest.........tbh with colleagues who aren't close friends I'd say the minimum courtesy is required....

I have a colleague I do this with when she gets too much... but fair play, I think she does it with me as well. Sometimes I really cannot be arsed with her, and I guess it works both ways. I sometimes just have wicked thoughts involving lots of swearwords about her and am slightly worried I'll say it out loud one day.

She does have a habit of wittering on about interest rates and houseprices to colleagues who I know, for whatever reason, have no reason to be interested in these at all and I do find it a bit embarrassing - she doesn't realise that there's loads of lingo connected with house purchase and ownership that is utter gobbledegook to people who aren't involved.

 

[MikeMcc]

Just avoid them, it's what everbody does with me...

See! I told you it's what EVERYBODY does!

 

[maya]

Get out a newspaper and start reading it while she's there, make vague and disinterested 'hmm's in response to her chatter and she'll probably get the picture... unless she's not very socially gifted or something.

 

[GarfieldLeChat]

NO....she reported me

HR have a history with her, but nothing happens, our company never sack, but no fucker has constructively dismissed her either........

Everyone knows what she is like but they just put up with it---im fuckin not anymore

expalin tot hem that she is in dire need of diversity training and that they have failed in their duty of care towards staff. Making offensive comments in the work place would be covered under any half decent HR policy if for no other reason than to protect their arses...

 

[_angel_]

My nemesis is a 40 yr old virgin still at home with mummy and daddy rent free who dreams of a threesome with goofy and michael bublee

TODAY--- she is in reception telling the world how wonderful she is because she has never claimed benefit and those that have( direct swipe at me) should have worked bloody harder and not been a scrounger

I couldnt contain myself--so i called her an insensitive muppet and tipped my coffee over her post......

HR are coming end of week........

Heh! Tell her how wonderful you are because you pay your own bills and don't have a mummy and daddy to pay the rent.

This thread is kind of putting me off looking at office jobs tbh.

 

[Yetman]

Just hold a piece of paper or a magazine or something in the line of sight every time she talks to you so she cant see your face. She'll ask you what you are doing, just ignore her. People find it hard to talk to other people when they cant see their eyes - she might think you are rude but its not like you'll give a fuck is it

 

[Radar]

Thank god I was only there temporarily, could not have stood him permanently! I have no advice as there is usually nothing you can do when you're trapped in an office with these feckers!!

Just say "Sorry, but can you please stop talking at me, I'm trying to work. I don't mind you chatting among yourselves, but each time you attempt to include me you ruin my concentration".

It's no biggie in the great scheme of things. Some people can happily talk crap all day or have a radio blaring and still be productive, others like to put their heads down and get on with the job. Mixing the two types in the one office is asking for trouble and management should know better

Personally I think its better for people to know where they stand rather than try to suppress things to the stage where there's an involuntary explosion and hands wrapped around throats

[I'm one to talk. The last time I had to work out on a trading floor to provide desktop cover I used to wear earplugs if I actually had to work on something that required concentration. I can (and do) talk bollocks with the best of them but there's only so many tales of drunken coke fuelled wankery you can overhear before you start feeling the urge to head for higher ground and to establish a clear field of fire ]

 

[Orang Utan]

Just hold a piece of paper or a magazine or something in the line of sight every time she talks to you so she cant see your face. She'll ask you what you are doing, just ignore her. People find it hard to talk to other people when they cant see their eyes - she might think you are rude but its not like you'll give a fuck is it

Well the point is, I do give a fuck - I don't want to be rude, but there's no way getting around it - so I resigned.