What Bugs You At Work?
You’d be unique among all of the people I’ve met in the world of work if you don’t have a list of things that classify as your “pet peeves” on the job. Left alone, these peeves create stress which in turn gnaws away at your self-confidence, your happiness, your health.
It’s always help me to reminds myself that there is no “peeve free” zone in life. People, things and situations that annoy me will be there wherever I go. I know I have to understand and deal with this truth. Otherwise, I’ll crash into a wall of frustration.
Therefore, I was glad to see the results of a recent survey about what ranks as the biggest peeves careerists have about their life at work. I found that my list is not very different from most others.
The Survey Says
How does your experience compare with these findings in a poll conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc.?
The way that people are managed/supervised includes three of the biggest peeves. At the head of the list in this category is “being spoken to in condescending tones” (44 percent). That’s followed by public reprimands (37 percent) and micromanaging (34 percent).
Things coworkers do that interfere with work performance are near the top of the list of the “bug” list.
About one out of three workers said loud talkers and cell phones ringing bugged them.
Here are some other such annoyances:
Speaker phones in public areas (22 percent);
Personal conversations in the workplace (11 percent);
Profanity (91 percent);
No lunch break (38 percent);
Overtime without additional pay (33 percent).
I invite you to let off some steam by sharing your list of pet peeves with other readers of Re: Your Career. It will be especially helpful if you share your tactics for coping with those things that annoy you.
Just writing this blog makes me feel better.
I wish you success.
Ramon Greenwood, Senior Career Counselor
Common Sense At Work
I hate it when these two women who are crass, loud and crude in English get together, and start talking loud, excitedly and screeching with laughter in Spanish! Any work area should have modulated tones. We are in a small town which tolerates the black culture very well but has serious problems with the new and seemingly endless horde of Hispanics who act just like this. Maybe its a cultural thing, but they need to learn to acclimate themselves to a new country. They get so loud sometimes you can’t carry on a conversation with a manager only a foot away–who of course is afraid to do anything about it.
I think wearing a phone on your ear is pretentious and done primarily to attract attention as to how busy and important you are!
what about people that smell? especially from smoke! they always have the desk right next to you.