An annoying colleague with the biggest petpeeve of mine.
May 30, 2007 2:24 PM Subscribe
What are your biggest pet peeves? Mine? A condescending co-worker who believes she's just being direct...argh! How would you deal with it?
I have a co-worker with whom I get along well in general. I am a type of a person that takes time to pick the right words so I don't offend, belittle, or come across as looking down upon a person. This co-worker does it on purpose, I don't think. But she has the need to be 'direct' by saying 'no's easily and contradicting/disagreeing with someone without any regard as long as she's right and interrupts at her will. She does it at least half a dozen times a day. I've gotten used to it, to where I am picking my battles. If she is coming across condescending, I'll say something to make a point but still not as direct as she is, I'll say something like, 'I know'...(I am a wimp, I know)
An example, today, a few of us were involved in a conversation involving how I would have to learn Cantonese if I wanted to travel to Hong Kong and be able to get around the city. She interrupted before I finished my statement saying, "No you don't, they speak English there. They were once occupied by the Britains so they speak English" I told her, 'I know, Jen', while looking her in the eye. Then I was asking a Chinese descent colleague whether I can get away with speaking English in most parts of Hong Kong, and again, she interrupted me saying, "you know how they were once occupied by the Britains till like 10 years ago..." I interrupted her to be sarcastic and asked what was wrong with her (jokingly).
What do you do? I don't expect her to change...mainly cause I know she'll never change. The reason I know this is because she talks to her siblings like this all the time.
What are some of your pet peeves and how do you deal with them?
I have a co-worker with whom I get along well in general. I am a type of a person that takes time to pick the right words so I don't offend, belittle, or come across as looking down upon a person. This co-worker does it on purpose, I don't think. But she has the need to be 'direct' by saying 'no's easily and contradicting/disagreeing with someone without any regard as long as she's right and interrupts at her will. She does it at least half a dozen times a day. I've gotten used to it, to where I am picking my battles. If she is coming across condescending, I'll say something to make a point but still not as direct as she is, I'll say something like, 'I know'...(I am a wimp, I know)
An example, today, a few of us were involved in a conversation involving how I would have to learn Cantonese if I wanted to travel to Hong Kong and be able to get around the city. She interrupted before I finished my statement saying, "No you don't, they speak English there. They were once occupied by the Britains so they speak English" I told her, 'I know, Jen', while looking her in the eye. Then I was asking a Chinese descent colleague whether I can get away with speaking English in most parts of Hong Kong, and again, she interrupted me saying, "you know how they were once occupied by the Britains till like 10 years ago..." I interrupted her to be sarcastic and asked what was wrong with her (jokingly).
What do you do? I don't expect her to change...mainly cause I know she'll never change. The reason I know this is because she talks to her siblings like this all the time.
What are some of your pet peeves and how do you deal with them?
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I think you're doing the right thing by being direct with her. Otherwise I'm not sure what else you can do but ignore that kind of behavior.
posted by agregoli at 2:37 PM on May 30, 2007