It Drives Me Crazy When...

By Pamela Jett

We all have pet peeves at work. Things that people say or do that drives you to distraction or truly gets on your nerves. This post is devoted to those things that we wish people would not do or say. They may be small things, but like a splinter, they can be painful.

Over the last dozen years I have been conducting communication workshops and seminars all over the world. My clients have been more than willing to share with me what gets on their nerves at work. Here are the top two:

1. When people say are you busy? This is such an irritating question because there is no right answer. We all know that when someone, our leader or a co-worker, asks this question they are really trying to ask if now is a good time to talk or if we are available for them. The challenge is, if we answer "no - I'm not busy" - theoretically, the desired response, we are admitting we are not working. However, if we say we are busy, we sound unhelpful or unwilling to work as a team player.

2. Do you have a minute? Is another irritating question. Nothing takes just a minute! This is a classic case of bait and switch! People ask for a minute and wind up engaging us in a half hour conversation.

So, my question to readers of this blog is what is your pet peeve? What makes you crazy when your leader says it? What do you wish your colleague would stop saying? Please post a comment to this blog. I would love to hear from you. You can also send me an e-mail at Pamela@JettCT.com.

Pamela Jett, CSP is a communication skills expert who believes that words matter. You can find information about her including how to bring her to your next meeting or event when you visit http://www.jettct.com/. Or, you can call Aimee at 1.866.726.5388.