Workpace Warrior

Apr 13, 2007

Noisy Coworker Tag Team—Help!

by Molly Luffy
Tags: Job Advice, Annoying Coworkers, Loud CubeMate, Concentrating at Work,

Dear Molly,

There are 2 guys who sit in cubicles on the other side of me. One of them slurps water all day long and blows air through his lips. The only thing he does all day is answer the phone (sometimes), and to top it off this guy makes more money than me and that's all he does. The other one sings all day long and when he's not singing he's talking rather loudly. I have asked both of them to please quiet down and show a little respect, but they choose to ignore me. My boss sits all the way in the back of the office so he could care less about it. All he wants is the work done. How can I get my work done when these two are driving me crazy!

Please help before I go on anti-depressants.

From,

Almost Crazy

Dear Almost Crazy,

I feel your pain. I also had the pleasure of working next to a weirdo. She used to cackle and carry on and was so loud that I could barely concentrate on my work. In your case you have double the pleasure. Yikes.

So what are your choices? Get a new job? Yeah, you could do that but you may end up with wackos there too. Or worse – a psycho boss! So I say, if you like your job, try to work it out. In this case working it out means ignoring your surroundings.

Now this is certainly easier said than done but it really can be done. It’s kinda’ like living in a flight path. If the sound of planes flying overhead bugs you, you notice it more. If you notice it more, it bugs you more. Eventually the sound of a plane flying overhead makes you crazy.

But not everyone who lives in a flight path goes crazy. In fact, most people who do will tell you they don’t even notice it. Your job is to be like one of those people. If you can somehow manage to ignore your co-workers’ craziness, eventually you won’t even notice it.

The truth is, these dolts probably know that their antics really bug you. And I bet they even amp up the volume just to drive you crazy. Who knows, they could even be playing some kind of game with each other to see who can drive you over the edge first. Stranger things have happened at the cube farm…

So just ignore them. It’ll take work – but it’s sooooooo worth it. Gradually, eventually, the air blowing, singing and slurping will just fade away. And you’ll be the one who won the game.

Have a question for Molly? Send her an email at .

About the Author, Molly Luffy, MBA

Armed with a sassy-wit and boundless energy, Molly successfully climbed the corporate ladder culminating in her appointment as the first female officer of a 'good old boy' corporation at 28 years old.

She is passionate about helping people achieve career success and satisfaction. Her work includes coaching young professionals on how to effectively climb the corporate ladder through her book, Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient and via telephone consultations.

For more information and to learn the #1 career killer you must avoid if you want to get promoted, visit www.jobpromotionsecrets.com.

Noisy Coworker Tag Team—Help!

About the Author, Molly Luffy, MBA

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