May 18, 2006

three cheers for cubicle-like work areas

boy howdy do I love sitting at my desk, doing my work, while listening to a coworker share with her boss what she heard from someone else that apparently I said. (And in this case I can guess what the boss is saying in response.) Then the lovely "well, I don't know, like I said, it's second hand information, but that's what (coworker) told me she said."

Um, hello, there's only a partial wall between us. Surprise! I.CAN.HEAR.YOU. And if you were listening, you'd hear my responses/answers to your talking too. If there's a problem, just come talk to me, rather than talk about me or what you think I said.

I'm getting a little annoyed at being talked about or undermined (for policies not my own) by the cubicle next door...

4 comments:

forkev said...

I say invest in a white noise generation machine, and put it on the desk next to yours. then turn it up real loud and ON whenever they start talking about you. when they complain, tell them you are doing them a service by protecting their privacy and from further angering you.

5/18/2006
Anonymous said...

What on earth! I don't know what people are thinking sometimes, to be both so rude and so careless (I mean, seriously, if you're going to engage in gossip, do it in private). Not to mention that it really accomplishes nothing whatsoever, especially compared to actually, you know, talking to you about it.

I'm with Kevin. Nice (mostly) passive protest.

5/19/2006
k2h said...

this happens all the time with 18 employees.

so.. I'll take the manager approach.

if you know there is a problem, take a few minutes to confront the person and work to resolution. if you cannot come to a solution with the offender, go one level up the chain for mediation. it shows good faith for you to work the issue, especially now that you KNOW there is a problem.

if it is a bigger problem, then it is managments duty to get invovled and set standards for a good working environment.

this exact thing is what two of my employees are currently on write up for. if left to fester it can come to blows between women (i've seen it twice, same people, both on WRITTEN warning now)

so.. confront it head on with the idea of actively working to make a better working environment for both yourself and your coworkers.

people issues are the things that make me not want to come to work, and when i'm at work want to leave. I wish you the best!

5/19/2006
k2h said...

oh yeah.. one more thing..

When our HR person feels attacked by an employee, she no longer looks to better the person. she lets them dig their own grave.

when the person says "i hate working here" she no longer says things like "we want to make a great working environment for everyone" she will say things like "You need to move to a place where you will be happy"

if you have the HR pull, you could pull some subtle tactics like this. =)

5/19/2006

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