Pet Peeves are Rife in Your Office
Newly released data has shown that the number one gripe by professionals around the world, as well as in Australia, is "people not taking ownership for their actions".
In Australian more than 1,000 people participated in professional network LinkedIn's survey, and the results show that "dirty common areas" and "constant complainers" also top the list for annoyances in Australian workplaces.
The survey also revealed that people managers in Australia rate late attendance at meetings as one of their top gripes.
The findings also revealed significant differences in opinion based on cultural background - for example, 61% of Australian women were bothered by "clothing that's too revealing for the workplace", while only 35% of Swedish women said clothing choices was a problem.
Workplace expert from HappeningPeople.com, Samuel Day, said that while it is common for professionals to have a few pet peeves, workplace managers need to monitor disrespectful workplace habits among staff.
Day said there are some points to consider when addressing workplace disruptors:
Don't let it build: The secret here is the earlier the better and whenever possible, do it in the moment (hey, do you mind refilling the photocopier with paper...before she's walked away).
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to let an irritation grow into full-fledged agitation and when you finally hit the breaking point, flip your lid in an embarrassing display of disproportionate emotion. This needs to be a calm conversation, preferably with a solid example of the behavior that's driving you crazy.
Keep it professional: Ideally you want to focus on the behavior and address it in relation to how it's affecting performance.
Presume the best: Who knew there was a thing as typing too hard? Lots of people. In the vast majority of cases the person who is annoying someone has no idea the degree to which their habits are bothering people and if they did, they'd be glad to eat their stinky lunch in the break room instead of at their desk.