Whether you are on the phone or simply having a conversation, the volume of your voice has the power to get team members cringing in frustrationA recent poll conducted by Nicoccino has identified the top traits guaranteed to create friction in the office environment, and the results are not particularly surprising. We have all been placed at the mercy of colleagues who exhibit these traits, but are you one of the offenders when it comes to irritating your work peers?
Corporate work is unnatural at the best of times, with business language, protocols for office behaviour and the broad range of company rules and cultural quirks staff have to observe; however, one of the most unnatural elements of office life is the fact that people are required to fraternise with each other in an environment that can be stressful, anxiety-ridden or worse.
Humans are sociable creatures; however, within our home and family life, we tend to gravitate to others with whom we share affinities or develop friendships. Unfortunately, the office environment does not afford us the luxury of choosing people we know we will get on well with.
In fact, the pressured environment can mean that even like-minded colleagues can get to the point where everything they say creates feelings of frustration, anger or irritation. Here we look at the worst office-related offences, according to those surveyed.
Messiness
It is unsurprising that a messy desk can cause colleagues to go crazy. In an environment where productivity is key, having clutter all over your desk is the top irritant for your team.
Spraying scent and eating highly-scented foods
Weirdly, it seems that your colleagues are more likely to be annoyed by your olfactory offences than almost any other office-based crime. Spraying perfume or aftershave or indulging in last night’s leftover curry winds your team up more than almost all other traits.
Talking loudly
Whether you are on the phone or simply having a conversation, the volume of your voice has the power to get team members cringing in frustration. Tone it down to keep office environments sweet.
Tardiness/long lunches
If you are one of those workers who regularly shirk off for a long lunch or leave things until the last minute, the likelihood is that there is a team behind you that is getting irate when you saunter back from your two-hour lunch break.
Surprisingly, negative traits including smoking, rudeness and disorganisation feature lower on the office-related offence list than the behaviours above. If you could be one of those colleagues causing issues in the office, it may be time to assess your approach and make some changes in the name of office harmony!
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