In the office

[Somasoma]

How are the dynamics between you are your colleagues at your workplace?
I've only been with my current company for three months.
My office has a very 'wall-less' and open environment. Everybody sits around tables not cubicles (I sit right next to my direct superior!). Am an introvert and generally a very quiet worker (when it comes to work, I work focused and quietly) but at times I can't help feeling awkward being myself - I can't help feeling as if I should speak up more.

 

[astrelune]

I worked in a restaurant, so I was required to be neurotically happy all the time, ready to greet the customers...

I admit that it did help me to become better at talking to people in general, since I was forced to do it. Without that job, I might have never built up enough confidence to be ok around people. But it also had a pretty traumatic side, because I don't take abuse well in general, but being expected to smile at and accept it when people decide they had the right to be assholes to whoever they come in contact with was hell for me- by the end I couldn't do it anymore, I could no longer hide my disgust at how some people think it's ok to treat others. Luckily, I got out before I snapped and beat someone with a tray.


As far as other employees go, I was in an unusual situation as manager. A lot of people loved working for me, they felt like it was a great supportive environment and seemed really happy most of the time (aside from the inevitable stress from the job). There were a few every once in a while who hated me for no good reason (e.g. ego problems about having a young boss, being pissed that they're not a manager, not liking the fact that they have to work)- almost always people who were hired by another manager, or people who just didn't want to do their work properly and didn't like that I expected them to. I hated having to watch people and make sure they do what they're supposed to (why can't they just do it on their own after being told once??) but I had to or else I would have had to do it myself (and I already did enough).

 

[#@&5&49]

I work alone part of the time and then the rest of the time I am flooded with people contact. Yikes, two extremes. I'm working on balancing that out. The people contact part is challenging for me but also necessary. If I didn't have that I wouldn't grow as a human being cause I would just stay in my INFJ shell :becky:

 

[Breeze]

I work in IT so unfortunately as much as the people around me would deny it, they are quite socially inept and so often are far too heavy handed with the manner in which they speak, creating a lot of unnecessary tension. I'm rather glad that I've been put into this situation as this has given me the chance to hone my abilities of not giving a toss. (I'm not overly social myself but I at the very least know how to be kind and diplomatic.)

This probably doesn't help with the fact that I simply am not very good at IT. Code and computers on a deep level do not make that much sense to me, so as everyone on the team intrinsically understand.

Needless to say they quite simply do not understand my way of thinking and I rather dislike their viewpoints (and manners).

None the less we band together to accomplish everything that comes our way.

 

[Lynn35]

I transferred to a new department several months ago and I can't seem to mesh with these people. So naturally, I'm the weird onein the office. I turn down all their invitations to particiapte in extra-curricular activities (lunch, happy hour, Christmas parties, etc), but the invitations never stop coming. They take it personally when I decline.

Right now I'm obsessing over the fact that I'm going to have to be mean to them this week. They've planned a group lunch. I've already declined to the planner, but my manager and the director doesn't know and when they find out - a simple explanation of "I'm not hungry at 11:00AM," won't suffice. And since I'm tired of trying to explain in cordial terms, I'm going to do the only other thing I know to do: be honest. I'm going to hurt their feelings, but they won't leave me alone.

My work environment is painful. I love the job, it's close to home and it pays more than it should for the level of work required, but the people never shut up. They insist on blowing their noses at their desks and talking incessantly about their kids and their husbands and dumb TV shows and current events. They hum out loud and drum their fingers on my desk when they pass. They want to know what I'm doing over the weekend, because they want me to ask what they're doing. But I never ask because I don't care.

They stop at my desk to ask what I'm eating. I'm always tempted to open my mouth and show them. I half-heartedly tried to convince myself that I'd get used to this environment, but I knew better.

 

[Tin Man]

I've been told that I can be unapproachable. I've never been in charge of a large group, which from the feedback I've gotten, is probably a good thing. I don't give out that much praise or appreciate other's efforts. There were a few people in my last workplace who thought I believed them to be incompetent, when I felt the exact opposite.

I've tried to act differently but it wasn't worth the effort. It can be a bit strange. Many people in the office have excellent relationships with one another and socialize a great deal. Whereas I just ignore people and sit alone in the corner when eating lunch.