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Annoying colleagues! Why?

Rebecca Garson | Friday 27 June 2008 | 10:24

We can't choose our colleagues!

Although we can't choose our colleagues, we probably spend more time with them than with our friends and other halves. Getting along with others isn't always easy, but if you want to win their support and earn their respect, try not to let bad habits creep into your working life. Here are 10 ways to make your colleagues want to work against you rather than with you.

1. Answering mobile calls during meetings.

Responding to calls, e-mails and checking your Blackberry when in conversation, or in meetings, is both irritating and rude. Ignore the calls and return them when your meeting is over. If you are expecting an urgent call, let the others know and ask if they'd mind you taking it. People will appreciate the courtesy and that you value their time and can stay focussed on matters at hand.

2. Sending voice mails/e-mails that drone on and on and on.

Everyone is time-poor these days. At the end of a voice message, replay it and hear how you sound; at the end of an e-mail, read it back to yourself. Quite often, what you say in three sentences can be cut to one. Get to the point by stating your objective or main message first and follow it with brief, supporting points.

3. Doing your bills at the office.

Whether you are paying your bills, planning your wedding, buying on eBay or placing your weekly online shop, avoid doing them during office time. People understand short personal calls and respect emergencies, but they don't appreciate seeing you get paid to manage your life.

4. Too much time away from your desk.

Recent research by HP reveals that, rather than the water cooler or smoking area, the photocopier is the new place to hang out, share gossip and dream of pastures new, with 58 per cent of personal assistants (PAs) and secretaries admitting that they often spend 'significant' time dreaming of their plans for the weekend.

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5. Pumping yourself up.

Don't strut around like a peacock, irritating colleagues by talking at great length about how things were better at your old company or using jargon from your old job. Listen to other people's ideas and embrace different ways of working.

6. Taking confidential or personal calls.

Do not be fooled: That desk with its flimsy partitions your company calls your 'workspace' is not your private domain. Keep your personal life and gripes to yourself. If you do need to mend a broken heart or have a good goss, save it for your lunch hour.

7. Getting involved in a relationship at work.

Do you want to be the talk of the town? Well, don't make the office a place of passion by being the next John Prescott and Tracey Temple. In the United States, employers have been sued for emotional stress following the breakdown of a relationship with a co-worker. You have been warned.

8. Ignoring the dress code.

The 1990s saw the introduction of dress-down Fridays: for some people, the start of a welcome relaxation of our stiff British starched-collar and suit; for others, the slipping of professional standards. Edinburgh-based corporate psychologist, Ben Williams, declares that dressing casually does make people behave in a more casual manner. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it is clean and still professional enough for people to take you seriously.

9. Taking it too easy on days you work from home.

No-one expects you to be chained to your desk when working from home; but if you push your luck too far, you may blow the policy for yourself and others. Meet deadlines, be readily available during business hours, and get on with your work -- skip the temptation to make it appear like you are working but you're really not.

10. Acting unethically.

Make sure you are clear on your company's ethics policies and have the courage and conviction to uphold them. It's easy to draw the line on major violations but watch out for the subtle ways you may be pulling others in the wrong direction to achieve goals -- massaging numbers or data, violating copyright, providing misleading information and forging taxi receipts. Raise the ethics bar high, and hold yourself and others to it. The smallest habits can irritate and cause discord in the office, so next time it's your turn to make the tea, think again rather than hide under the desk.

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