28 February 2008

Office Quirks

I’m sure we have all seen quirks at the office. Some examples could be drumming fingers on the desk, twirling hair, clicking a pen while talking, or sighing heavily when thinking or problem solving.

We all love the person who absently makes necklaces out of paperclips and then when one is pulled out you have a whole string of them. Grrr!

I have seen people who pull at their chins, steeple their fingers as they think and nibble on their pens or pencils.

I know I have quirks that have been pointed out to me by my family, as I curl my feet behind my chair and doodle while I talk on the phone.

Some can be fun to watch, others can be annoying. We are all different and that’s what makes our lives so interesting. Life would be boring if we were all the same.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia,

So, how do you go about asking someone to stop doing something that annoys you?

Thanks,

Richard Rinyai
www.theprofessionalassistant.net

Patricia Robb said...

Office quirks are just that - quirks. Most people don't even realize they are doing them. I think for the most part we have to live with it. Some, however, are amusing to watch. Those that are annoying - thank goodness we only have to put up with it during the week.

If it is offensive or gets in your space (I have seen both), I would talk to the HR Manager and let them handle it, or if you know the person well enough and feel comfortable talking to them about it, then that is an option. If I am told about a quirk, I tend to try to correct it in myself. Although, I still curl my feet around my chair as I type. Can't seem to break that one, but it doesn't affect anyone else so it is my own little quirk.

I don't like confrontation, so speaking to the HR Manager would be what I would do.