Noisy Coworker: What You Can Do
Everyone faces noisy, obnoxious coworkers at some time during their working career. If you have done as much as you can to politely get them to stop, it may be necessary to get a little bit more creative, or possibly to get help from someone else. You may find that something like a comical gesture is surprisingly able to get the noisy coworker to realize that they are annoying you.
If that coworker is one that sings or whistles all day long in a horrible off key pitch, there are a couple ways to make them quiet. One of the easiest ways is to simply ignore your coworker. To do this, try turning up your own music or use headphones to cancel out the unbearable voice, singing, or humming of your coworker.
If you try that and it doesn't work, and you are aware of more than one other person who is frustrated with the noise this coworker makes. Then you can try to have every do something that if a clear but harmless like, try to get them to start a petition that they are all willing to sign. Then post it were your noisy office partner will see it.
A petition is one way to approach a coworker making an irritating noise. This allows all of you peers to present the issue as a group, and doesn't single you out as the sole reason for him to stop. This way a friendly work atmosphere can be maintained. It might even be funny to see the co workers reaction.
If you are irritated by the sound of typing, telephone conversation, copiers, and other noises around the office, you do have the temporary option of unplugging the offending machines. If this is not a practical option, you may want to try moving your belongings to a quieter location or to an office basement. When people see that the noise is really bothering you, they'll try to correct the problem.
So whenever you do have a problem coworker, or just frustration with the general level of noise around the office, put some creativity into coming up with a solution. There are a variety of different, creative ways to tell someone something in a way that will not offend them.
Encounters with less than amicable coworkers are inevitable. In spite of how irritating those coworkers may be, you will still have to cope with them on some level. Sometimes, telling the Annoying coworkers that they are bothering you doesn't do the trick, and the situation calls for more drastic measures. You can start by simply ignoring the offending coworker, by bringing your own music, or by using headphones to ensure that the coworker's noises cannot be heard. So if you have problems with a Noisy Coworker, or just the general Office Noise associated with work, then put your thinking cap on and get creative.
Published September 22nd, 2008
Filed in Career
