It’s bad enough we have to spend all that time in the office each day, but life at work can be almost unbearable if people can’t keep irritating behaviour to an absolute minimum.
Of course, often people don’t even realise they are getting on their colleagues’ nerves. Rather than having that embarrassing conversation, perhaps slip them this list of the 10 most annoying office habits put together by news.com.au:
1. Office drummers: Whether it’s drumming fingers on a desk or that old favourite, the pen click, repetitive tapping sounds are bound to annoy. If you’re one of those people who needs to tap their pen on their desk for five minutes before coming up with an idea (even if you don’t realise it) – stop it.
2. Foghorn phone voice: If you probably don’t want everyone in the office listening into your phone conversations, try not raising your voice to fever pitch every time you make a call. Remember, when on the phone – use your inside voice.
3. Pod pong: A little perfume or aftershave is a great idea; half a bottle of the stuff, not so much. Please, keep in mind that your work mates have to sit in smell-range of you all day when considering whether to apply that extra squirt or three of your favourite scent.
4. Key smashers: Word processors have come a long way since the days of clunky old typewriters, but the way some people pound their keyboards you wouldn’t know it. Exerting more pressure on the keyboard doesn’t increase the quality of what’s produced, so why not just take it easy?
5. Paid for nothing: The smoko is no longer a time-honoured Australian tradition. Now it’s just a way of transferring just a little bit of your workload to your colleagues each day. Unsurprisingly, they don’t appreciate it – or your stinky smoker breath.
6. Snot funny: You’d think staying home from work when you’re sick is a win-win; you get better quicker, and your workmates don’t get your lurgy. So why fight it?
7. Lucifer’s lunch: Sardines on toast for lunch are fine as long as the person consuming them is sitting sealed off from the world in some kind of airtight bubble. Gobbling down your stinky, fishy little treats while sitting at your desk, on the other hand, is a definite no-no.
8. Ringtone hell: Technology is a wonderful thing, the way people can now put whatever tune they like on their mobile phones. Don’t make all those hard-working mobile phone scientists regret their success by setting a super-irritating ad-ditty or rap music riff as your ring-tone.
9. Space invaders: In the office, having respect for one anothers’ desk space is the only thing that separates humankind from the apes. No doubt your kids are gorgeous, and why wouldn’t you want to look at them all day and every day, but keep those photos – and files, papers, magazines, books, lunch wrappers, coffee cups etc – to your own desk.
10. Eau de underarm: You wouldn’t think the whole putting deodorant thing was so complicated. DO put on deodorant in the morning, and a bit more if you’ve just been for a run. DON’T apply half a can of that great smelling “personal body spray”, however cool the advertisers say it will make you.
Smart Company is the leading online publication in Australia for free news, information and resources catering to Australia’s entrepreneurs, small and medium business owners and business managers.
