How to politely tell someone I'm actually busy
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Don't even need the actual music, just bang some headphones on and let the assumptions you are listening to music have their way. Perhaps just nod a little every now an then to eliminate any creeping doubts.
I though I was the only one to do that...
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I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
In the past I have just said, "I'm upgrading the payroll system right now" and whatever and whoever it was vaporises and disappears. I used that every day for a week once (of course one of my responsibilities is the payroll/HR system). Got loads of actual real work done. It's amazing how the possibility of no pay come payday puts things into perspective. :)
If your neighbours don't listen to The Ramones, turn it up real loud so they can. “We didn't have a positive song until we wrote 'Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue!'” ― Dee Dee Ramone "The Democrats want my guns and the Republicans want my porno mags and I ain't giving up either" - Joey Ramone
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My spidey sense it tingling, and it tells me that you are averse to conflict. If so, you may be getting in your own way... A straight forward way to address this is to state your feelings, without ambiguity. Be sure to include any empathetic feelings you have for them, and validate their position as much as you can. Then, gain & maintain credibility on this issue by disallowing satisfaction for them in the future each time that they are discourteous to the feelings you made clear. I know, it's easier said than done...
cmkrnl. I win.
Quite the opposite. I'm the bluntest person in the office. However, I have to work with this guy, and being blunt wouldn't be a good strategy. It's his first job and he's very young. Sometimes diplomacy is the more appropriate approach.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter