When you walk into the breakroom, do the lively conversations stop? Do the groups quickly disband as everyone scrambles to head back to their offices? Do you think to yourself, "Was everybody's break really over or were they just trying to avoid me?"
If any of the following situations describe you, these might be the reason you feel left out:
1. "The sky isn't really blue -- it's actually cyan" Do you incessantly spout unnecessary or obscure information that would make Cliff Clavin from the TV show "Cheers" jealous? Lose the "know-it-all" attitude or you'll make a career of lunching alone.
2. Chains of Love Are you never around because you're always out on a "smoking break?" Limit your puffs to standard break times.
3. Workaholic Wannabe Do you mosey in late, take extra long lunches, and don't really start to roll-up your sleeves and dig into some serious work until about 2 p.m.? Then, do you make sure everyone sees you working past 5 p.m.? Well you're not impressing anyone; rather you're annoying those who already have put in a full day before you even get warmed up.
4. People Magazine Office Edition You're very good at filing away information about everyone in the office! If you want to keep friends, learn to keep a secret.
5. Devil's Advocate Do you feel compelled to take the other side of every argument just to make a point? Well stop it! Nothing is more exhausting for your co-workers than knowing you're always ready to challenge them no matter what they say.
6. Yadda-yadda-yadda Do you barge into cube after cube forcing one-way conversations on your innocent victims? If the only response you receive is, "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh," then they're not interested in your blather. Now get back to work!
7. You gotta see the ba-a-aby! Related to the yadda-yadda-yadda talker is the baby babbler who incessantly gushes about her children. Only family and close friends should be privy to details about every syllable uttered, step taken or diaper dirtied. It's wonderful that you love your baby, but just don't make it your only topic of conversation.
8. Mr. Un-Clean Leaving dishes in the sink, old food in the fridge, food splattered inside the microwave and crumbs on the break table is a sure-fire way to annoy fellow workers. Clean up your act.
9. What's that on your nose? Do you constantly follow your boss around, laugh at all her jokes and drop her name in countless conversations? If so, then you are a suck-up. Working in an office does require a certain amount of "schmoozing" the boss, but you don't have to tie yourself up in a pretzel to impress her while alienating everyone else in the office.
10. Big Mouth Are your phone conversations loud enough to be from the speakerphone even though they're not? Dial down the volume to keep the peace.
If you recognize yourself in any of these scenarios, be warned: It's time to change your ways. Of course you can never please everyone, but healthy work relationships are necessary to properly perform your duties and for future advancement in the company. So get rid of some of your annoying habits and you're sure to gain some new friends.
me too!
