WEBVTT - INBOX: Stop Doing This At Your Work Desk! 0:00:06.610 --> 0:00:09.290 You're listening to I'MM with Me podcast. 0:00:16.370 --> 0:00:21.049 Hello and welcome to Biz Inbox. I'm m Vernon and 0:00:21.130 --> 0:00:26.810 today I have so first YEA. Every week we answer 0:00:26.850 --> 0:00:30.730 your burning career questions in the simplest way possible because 0:00:30.850 --> 0:00:33.370 we're busy. We know you're busy, so we're not going 0:00:33.410 --> 0:00:35.890 to sugarcoat anything. We're just going to give you real 0:00:36.050 --> 0:00:38.970 answers without the need of a corporate translator. 0:00:39.490 --> 0:00:41.970 This week we're getting into working well with the team, 0:00:42.290 --> 0:00:45.450 vague managers and desk etiquette. 0:00:45.050 --> 0:00:48.410 Super spicy questions this week, which is why this week 0:00:48.450 --> 0:00:50.770 in particular, we've chosen all of the questions to be 0:00:50.970 --> 0:00:54.170 from completely anonymous submissions. So if you do have a 0:00:54.210 --> 0:00:57.570 burning career or workplace question that you're kind of scared 0:00:57.610 --> 0:00:59.650 to put your name on, you can just email us 0:00:59.810 --> 0:01:02.970 message us dm US anonymously and we won't say your name. 0:01:03.010 --> 0:01:11.009 Your secret is kept with us. So the first one 0:01:11.050 --> 0:01:14.410 we're going to get into came through our inbox and 0:01:14.490 --> 0:01:17.650 it said, I'm working with a teammate on a project 0:01:17.690 --> 0:01:21.369 and they keep missing the deadlines. It's so frustrating. Should 0:01:21.410 --> 0:01:23.929 I tell my manager? And is it ever okay to 0:01:23.970 --> 0:01:29.090 throw someone under the bus? This question is so spicy 0:01:29.170 --> 0:01:32.890 to me because I've had definitely experiences of working with 0:01:32.970 --> 0:01:36.289 someone and them just not pulling their weight. But I 0:01:36.410 --> 0:01:40.770 never thought about escalating that. I'd always just do all 0:01:40.890 --> 0:01:43.330 the work. And then I just talked to my manager 0:01:43.369 --> 0:01:45.770 and say, I'd rather work on projects by myself. 0:01:46.369 --> 0:01:50.689 Interesting, Okay, have you ever had the flip happen where 0:01:51.210 --> 0:01:53.809 a coworker has saved you, like they could have thrown 0:01:53.850 --> 0:01:56.169 you under the bus and they actually didn't and saved you. 0:01:56.610 --> 0:01:59.050 Yes, I've had that happen to me many times. Yeah, 0:01:59.130 --> 0:02:00.850 Like I think about those moments all the time. 0:02:01.010 --> 0:02:03.129 I know you're like, I'm going to love you forever. 0:02:03.250 --> 0:02:04.850 I remember I had this woman I was I just 0:02:04.850 --> 0:02:08.090 started working at Google. Maybe it was like six months in, 0:02:08.250 --> 0:02:10.330 like long enough that you're meant to know what you're doing, 0:02:10.490 --> 0:02:13.850 but I still did not, and we had this like 0:02:13.890 --> 0:02:15.810 a weekly whip with our manager. And our team was 0:02:15.850 --> 0:02:17.610 quite small at the time. I think it was even 0:02:17.690 --> 0:02:20.450 just three people. And at the end of the quarter, 0:02:20.650 --> 0:02:23.210 you have to have spent one hundred percent of your budget. 0:02:23.250 --> 0:02:25.330 So most companies, if you go over budget, you get 0:02:25.370 --> 0:02:26.770 in trouble. At Google, it was like if you went 0:02:26.850 --> 0:02:29.810 under budget you got control. I hadn't spent so I 0:02:29.850 --> 0:02:32.450 was like way under budget and our team was way 0:02:32.530 --> 0:02:33.010 under budget. 0:02:33.010 --> 0:02:33.810 But it was my fault. 0:02:33.850 --> 0:02:36.090 And our manager in the meeting was like, why are 0:02:36.090 --> 0:02:37.770 we so out of the budget. This is a real problem, 0:02:38.130 --> 0:02:40.169 and my teammates jumped in. He's like, no, soph and 0:02:40.170 --> 0:02:41.690 I had already talked about it. We're gonna split some 0:02:41.690 --> 0:02:43.570 budget between us and figure things out straight after this. 0:02:43.610 --> 0:02:45.650 We'll send you an email. It's all sorted. And he 0:02:45.890 --> 0:02:48.370 just saved me in the meeting. It was completely my fault. 0:02:48.410 --> 0:02:51.290 I'm like, I'm gonna love you forever. So like, back 0:02:51.330 --> 0:02:53.330 to the question that this person sent in, is it 0:02:53.370 --> 0:02:56.650 ever okay to throw someone under the bus if it's 0:02:56.650 --> 0:02:59.370 a last resort, But first you have to ask yourself 0:02:59.450 --> 0:03:02.370 two things. So one, have you tried everything you can 0:03:02.450 --> 0:03:05.410 to resolve it directly with the person first? And then two, 0:03:05.650 --> 0:03:08.250 what is your motivation for actually throwing someone under the bus, 0:03:08.290 --> 0:03:11.169 Because sometimes people think they can do it by making 0:03:11.250 --> 0:03:14.490 someone else look bad they look better, and it's a 0:03:14.530 --> 0:03:15.410 really bad. 0:03:15.170 --> 0:03:15.970 Idea to do that. 0:03:16.410 --> 0:03:18.850 So first of all, in this situation, I think this 0:03:18.890 --> 0:03:22.810 person keeps missing project deadlines, which is actually super annoying 0:03:22.850 --> 0:03:24.610 and it can make you look bad and it can 0:03:24.770 --> 0:03:27.770 be actually bad for the outcome of the project. So 0:03:28.010 --> 0:03:30.090 to your point, Emmern, you're taking all the work on 0:03:30.290 --> 0:03:32.690 and then you know, just asking not to collaborate with 0:03:32.690 --> 0:03:37.090 people anymore. It's like what you could do is talk 0:03:37.130 --> 0:03:39.210 to the person first and try and ask, you know, 0:03:39.330 --> 0:03:40.610 is there something going on for you? 0:03:40.890 --> 0:03:43.570 What is making it hard for you to meet these deadlines? 0:03:43.930 --> 0:03:45.250 I mean, people have got a lot of stuff going 0:03:45.290 --> 0:03:47.770 in their lives, and so I always appreciate the coworkers 0:03:47.810 --> 0:03:49.490 who first just come and talk to you about stuff 0:03:49.490 --> 0:03:51.370 and trying to actually ask you if there is something 0:03:51.370 --> 0:03:53.490 that they can do to help. Really good tip for 0:03:53.530 --> 0:03:56.090 this is instead of using why questions like why aren't 0:03:56.090 --> 0:03:57.010 you hitting deadlines? 0:03:57.450 --> 0:03:58.890 Use what and how questions. 0:03:59.210 --> 0:04:01.170 So say to them like, what is making it hard 0:04:01.170 --> 0:04:03.130 for you to hit these deadlines? Or how is it 0:04:03.170 --> 0:04:05.690 that I can help you? If you use why, like 0:04:05.690 --> 0:04:08.130 why aren't you doing this, it can sound quite accusatory 0:04:08.290 --> 0:04:10.610 and it can kind of make the vible so interesting. 0:04:10.810 --> 0:04:12.490 Yeah, I always love that little tip. 0:04:12.690 --> 0:04:14.410 It's like such a simple word switch. 0:04:14.530 --> 0:04:16.690 I know. I think it's because from when we're young, 0:04:16.850 --> 0:04:18.570 you're like getting in trouble and your parents are. 0:04:18.529 --> 0:04:19.409 Like, why did you do this? 0:04:19.730 --> 0:04:19.930 Oh? 0:04:20.050 --> 0:04:20.730 So true. 0:04:20.810 --> 0:04:23.250 I'm sure there's some like hardcore psychology behind it, but 0:04:23.410 --> 0:04:26.010 always try and resolve it with your coworker first. But 0:04:26.370 --> 0:04:28.770 there are actually situations where people just won't fix it 0:04:28.810 --> 0:04:32.010 and it's actually making the project result bad, or it's 0:04:32.010 --> 0:04:33.730 like it's actually bad for the work, or it like 0:04:33.730 --> 0:04:36.650 can damage your reputation. So one other thing that you 0:04:36.690 --> 0:04:39.530 can do is before you sort of, you know, escalate 0:04:39.570 --> 0:04:42.330 and make someone look bad, you can ask your manager 0:04:42.370 --> 0:04:43.930 for advice, so you can sort of just give them 0:04:43.930 --> 0:04:47.250 the heads up like this is the situation. Instead of saying, 0:04:47.370 --> 0:04:50.290 Alex keeps missing the deadlines and it's messing the project up, 0:04:50.730 --> 0:04:53.050 you might want to say, we've had some timeline issues. 0:04:53.090 --> 0:04:56.490 I've tried X y Z with Alex, but we're still struggling. 0:04:56.570 --> 0:04:59.330 Do you have any advice for other things I could try, so, 0:04:59.610 --> 0:05:02.289 you know, notifying your manager that there maybe are some issues. 0:05:02.330 --> 0:05:04.530 You're doing what you can, but you know you're keeping 0:05:04.530 --> 0:05:05.930 it professional not personal. 0:05:06.090 --> 0:05:06.770 That's what I would do. 0:05:07.250 --> 0:05:10.330 Ah, that's such good advice. Write that down everyone. 0:05:10.490 --> 0:05:12.850 I think in general, like it's not throwing someone under 0:05:12.850 --> 0:05:16.730 the bus. If you are trying to save sort of 0:05:16.770 --> 0:05:19.730 the project or the work outcome, and you're like, you've 0:05:19.770 --> 0:05:22.090 done what you can to help this person. But it's 0:05:22.130 --> 0:05:23.610 also just keep in mind the thing I said at 0:05:23.650 --> 0:05:27.090 the start, which is those moments when your coworkers save you, 0:05:27.130 --> 0:05:28.570 like you've got a friend for life. 0:05:29.290 --> 0:05:31.450 And then like, also you could probably be that for them, 0:05:31.490 --> 0:05:33.290 like you can save them and they'll think about it 0:05:33.290 --> 0:05:35.130 and then it probably might adjust their behavior. 0:05:35.370 --> 0:05:36.490 That's actually so true. 0:05:36.530 --> 0:05:40.370 Yeah, yeah, okay, So the next question has come in 0:05:40.450 --> 0:05:43.370 through a voice message on our Instagram page biz by 0:05:43.410 --> 0:05:45.969 Mama Mia. Please follow us if you don't already. We 0:05:46.010 --> 0:05:48.729 post so much on there. And this is what they said. 0:05:49.490 --> 0:05:50.570 Okay, I need help. 0:05:50.770 --> 0:05:54.090 My manager is super vague and unclear, kind of random. 0:05:54.130 --> 0:05:57.050 Sometimes they give me tasks and then when I do 0:05:57.170 --> 0:05:59.410 them and show them, they say it's not what they wanted. 0:05:59.650 --> 0:06:02.530 It's killing me. I'm certain it's not me hearing them wrong. 0:06:02.810 --> 0:06:06.610 And have you seen that Elon Musk meme where it's 0:06:06.690 --> 0:06:09.090 like it's a photo of Elamsk and he's obviously just 0:06:09.130 --> 0:06:12.930 announced another project or something random, and then Baron Trump 0:06:13.010 --> 0:06:15.450 is standing next to him. Oh yeah, he's just looking 0:06:15.810 --> 0:06:19.050 really scared and solemn, and the one that I saw 0:06:19.170 --> 0:06:22.530 it was like above elamusk management, don't worry, We'll get 0:06:22.530 --> 0:06:25.210 it done somehow. And then this solemn baron is like 0:06:25.450 --> 0:06:28.330 me knowing I'm somehow. That's how it feels sometimes if 0:06:28.370 --> 0:06:30.730 you've got a super random manager who's like, let's do 0:06:30.810 --> 0:06:32.410 this and this and this, and you're like. 0:06:32.450 --> 0:06:34.690 I'm the person who's supposed to be getting this done. 0:06:35.170 --> 0:06:38.010 Yes, Oh my god, I'm getting like a little bit 0:06:38.010 --> 0:06:38.730 triggered from this. 0:06:40.570 --> 0:06:40.849 Yeah. 0:06:40.930 --> 0:06:44.130 I think it's really hard. There definitely has been times 0:06:44.210 --> 0:06:47.409 where I've had not necessarily a manager, but just someone 0:06:47.410 --> 0:06:50.210 who's higher than me say they want to get this done, 0:06:50.250 --> 0:06:52.450 this done, this done, And like I'm in a meeting 0:06:52.610 --> 0:06:56.610 with fifty people and we all know that I'm meant 0:06:56.610 --> 0:06:58.450 to be the person to be getting this done. 0:06:58.610 --> 0:06:59.170 Yeah. 0:06:59.170 --> 0:07:01.410 And that's why I think I have an aversion, which 0:07:01.450 --> 0:07:05.730 I have said before, to brainstorm meetings, Like I actually 0:07:05.810 --> 0:07:10.170 hate brainstorm meetings because I'm a doer and everyone knows 0:07:10.210 --> 0:07:13.010 I'm a doer and they all expect me because that's 0:07:13.050 --> 0:07:15.730 just been who I am since I've started working. I 0:07:15.770 --> 0:07:17.970 am always a person, even though I'm such a creative person. 0:07:18.010 --> 0:07:20.330 I'm always a person that you do the brainstorm, just 0:07:20.370 --> 0:07:22.170 tell me what I need to do. But then when 0:07:22.210 --> 0:07:25.370 I'm in that brainstorm, I just start sweating because these 0:07:25.410 --> 0:07:28.250 ideas get bigger and bigger and bigger, and then they 0:07:28.330 --> 0:07:30.810 leave and they go out for lunch and never come back, 0:07:30.850 --> 0:07:33.890 and then I'm stuck having to do everything they brainstorm. 0:07:34.130 --> 0:07:37.450 My manager gave me some advice about this exact thing once, 0:07:37.570 --> 0:07:40.050 and he said, sometimes so you just have to let 0:07:40.130 --> 0:07:42.890 balls drop. So I think someone like you probably who's 0:07:42.970 --> 0:07:44.730 used to picking up all these loose ends and like 0:07:44.730 --> 0:07:48.610 getting it done, and that's your reputation. That's awesome, right, 0:07:48.650 --> 0:07:51.770 and like don't stop doing that. But sometimes you can't 0:07:51.770 --> 0:07:54.010 be the person who's always doing that, and sometimes you 0:07:54.090 --> 0:07:55.930 just have to let things go. And if someone's gonna 0:07:55.930 --> 0:07:57.650 come and chase you, or like something doesn't get done, 0:07:57.730 --> 0:08:00.650 or hey, that's actually someone else's job anyway. Always been 0:08:00.690 --> 0:08:02.770 the person who's like taking the action items and taking 0:08:02.810 --> 0:08:04.890 things on. Sometimes you just have to push back a 0:08:04.930 --> 0:08:07.290 little bit as well. But back to the manager, like 0:08:07.330 --> 0:08:09.210 giving your tasks, and when you show them the tasks, 0:08:09.330 --> 0:08:10.730 like they say, it's not what you want, and they're 0:08:10.770 --> 0:08:13.290 just like giving you a bunch of stuff. This like 0:08:13.490 --> 0:08:15.570 never really goes away. It'll happened to you all throughout 0:08:15.570 --> 0:08:18.610 your career. And it's a skill that if you can learn, 0:08:18.730 --> 0:08:21.250 like master this skill now, it will help you so 0:08:21.450 --> 0:08:23.290 much in your career. So it's such a it's such 0:08:23.290 --> 0:08:26.490 a sick skill to be able to manage managers like this. 0:08:27.010 --> 0:08:29.410 And I will just say one thing, which is, as 0:08:29.450 --> 0:08:31.450 a manager, it's quite. 0:08:31.170 --> 0:08:32.090 Easy to do this. 0:08:32.250 --> 0:08:35.689 It's quite easy to kind of get excited about things 0:08:35.809 --> 0:08:38.050 or not really know all of the tasks that you're 0:08:38.090 --> 0:08:40.970 handing over to someone, and just to keep piling things 0:08:40.970 --> 0:08:44.130 on them and to sometimes be unclear, Like I tried 0:08:44.170 --> 0:08:46.970 so hard, you know, as a manager to be awesome, 0:08:47.050 --> 0:08:49.290 Like I spent you know, eighty percent of my mental 0:08:49.330 --> 0:08:51.330 space trying to be an awesome manager. And I know 0:08:51.410 --> 0:08:53.770 that I still did this to my report sometimes. So 0:08:53.890 --> 0:08:57.410 here's what you can do. Try and remember this acronym 0:08:57.490 --> 0:09:01.810 per per. The first one is point. So ask your 0:09:01.810 --> 0:09:03.370 manager like, what is the point of this? 0:09:03.410 --> 0:09:04.170 What is the purpose? 0:09:04.170 --> 0:09:05.730 So something I would always like to do is sort 0:09:05.730 --> 0:09:07.890 of say to them, you know, I really like knowing 0:09:07.890 --> 0:09:09.770 how things fit into the bigger picture. Can you kind 0:09:09.770 --> 0:09:11.970 of explain to me what bigger priority this ladder is 0:09:12.050 --> 0:09:13.970 up to or what problem this is going to help solve. 0:09:14.410 --> 0:09:17.250 So first like point and then the next one is 0:09:17.490 --> 0:09:19.890 end product, so ask them like, do you have something 0:09:19.890 --> 0:09:22.449 in mind for what you think the end product actually. 0:09:22.250 --> 0:09:24.330 Looks like for this? So that's all about like have 0:09:24.370 --> 0:09:25.530 they actually thought it through? 0:09:25.650 --> 0:09:29.090 It is so easy as a manager to not actually 0:09:29.090 --> 0:09:31.010 think something through and just be like this sounds like 0:09:31.050 --> 0:09:32.929 a good idea in my head and then task someone 0:09:32.930 --> 0:09:35.770 with it. That awesome person takes it really seriously and 0:09:35.810 --> 0:09:37.610 they're like, I'm going to try and do this, but 0:09:37.650 --> 0:09:39.809 it can be completely impossible. So to kind of get 0:09:39.810 --> 0:09:42.170 them to think through well, actually like is this a 0:09:42.290 --> 0:09:43.970 document that I wanted to do? Is it like a 0:09:44.010 --> 0:09:47.010 whole project? I think that one can really help end product. 0:09:47.370 --> 0:09:51.050 And then the last one is replay, So replay what 0:09:51.170 --> 0:09:53.890 you think that you have interpreted from what they said 0:09:53.970 --> 0:09:56.449 back to them so that they can actually correct it 0:09:56.490 --> 0:09:57.250 if it's not. 0:09:57.170 --> 0:09:57.690 What they said. 0:09:57.730 --> 0:10:00.130 So you might say something like, you know, to confirm, 0:10:00.210 --> 0:10:02.329 you'd like me to do X and have it ready 0:10:02.370 --> 0:10:03.850 by why does that sound right? 0:10:04.410 --> 0:10:06.890 Gives them an opportunity to correct if they haven't actually 0:10:06.930 --> 0:10:07.530 thought about it. 0:10:07.730 --> 0:10:10.530 That's actually such good advice because I feel like early 0:10:10.690 --> 0:10:13.810 in my career when I just wanted to impress people, 0:10:14.570 --> 0:10:16.610 I was just told that just say yes to everything, 0:10:16.650 --> 0:10:18.689 so they'd be like these massive projects and stuff that 0:10:18.730 --> 0:10:22.170 I just say yes too and then completely butcher them 0:10:22.250 --> 0:10:24.770 because I actually didn't know what I was meant to 0:10:24.770 --> 0:10:25.250 be doing. 0:10:25.570 --> 0:10:28.170 It's so true, do you know as well? 0:10:28.250 --> 0:10:30.569 It's like, if you can just ask a few questions 0:10:30.610 --> 0:10:33.250 in the moment, it can save you so much time. Also, 0:10:33.290 --> 0:10:36.010 I think the hardest thing to learn in your career 0:10:36.290 --> 0:10:38.890 is you're not meant to do everything that your manager 0:10:38.930 --> 0:10:42.330 tells you to do. But sometimes if you kind of 0:10:42.330 --> 0:10:44.050 just let things slide and don't bring them up again, 0:10:44.130 --> 0:10:45.770 they'll be like, what about that thing I told you 0:10:45.810 --> 0:10:46.010 to do? 0:10:46.050 --> 0:10:47.929 So you sort of do need to remember everything they 0:10:47.930 --> 0:10:48.490 told you to do. 0:10:48.770 --> 0:10:51.850 The line is like always changing, and it's very blurry, 0:10:51.850 --> 0:10:53.930 and it's very hard to figure out, like what things 0:10:53.930 --> 0:10:56.170 am I meant to remember and do and then what 0:10:56.210 --> 0:10:58.569 things were they actually like not that serious about anyway. 0:10:59.050 --> 0:11:01.449 One thing that I do like is if you kind 0:11:01.450 --> 0:11:03.330 of think they just like had this idea. 0:11:03.050 --> 0:11:05.170 In the moment and they weren't really that serious about it. 0:11:05.170 --> 0:11:08.170 Anyway, the next week that you have that meeting with him, 0:11:08.210 --> 0:11:09.890 you can kind of just say, you know, last week 0:11:09.930 --> 0:11:11.890 we aligned on a do you still want me to 0:11:11.890 --> 0:11:14.330 move forward with that or is this now a bigger priority? 0:11:14.490 --> 0:11:16.650 Because sometimes other things will come up and they'll be like, actually, 0:11:16.730 --> 0:11:18.690 that wasn't really that important anyway. 0:11:18.490 --> 0:11:21.610 Right, okay, And I think it will make them realize that, like, 0:11:21.650 --> 0:11:23.490 oh yeah, I probably should have told her that. 0:11:23.890 --> 0:11:24.130 Yes. 0:11:24.370 --> 0:11:25.890 Like a lot of this, by the way, a lot 0:11:25.930 --> 0:11:28.010 of the owners on this is in managers. I think 0:11:28.050 --> 0:11:32.010 it is your manager's responsibility to be delegating tasks clearly 0:11:32.050 --> 0:11:34.170 to you, definitely giving you the end goal. They don't 0:11:34.170 --> 0:11:35.890 always need to tell you the how to get there, 0:11:36.090 --> 0:11:38.250 but they always need to be giving you clarity around 0:11:38.250 --> 0:11:39.730 the end goal. And I think a lot of this 0:11:39.970 --> 0:11:42.890 actually comes from people not being trained in terms of 0:11:42.890 --> 0:11:44.490 how to delegate and manage properly. 0:11:44.930 --> 0:11:48.650 So good, okay, So well, after the break, we are 0:11:48.650 --> 0:11:53.970 going to be getting into a question about workplace desk politics. 0:11:54.170 --> 0:11:55.130 It's a juicy. 0:11:54.850 --> 0:12:01.650 One, okay. 0:12:01.810 --> 0:12:05.050 And this episode's been pretty serious and working. I think 0:12:05.050 --> 0:12:06.930 we need to lighten it up and have a little 0:12:06.930 --> 0:12:11.290 bit of fun. This question comes in and it like, honestly, 0:12:11.410 --> 0:12:14.530 I was getting so triggered reading it. The question is 0:12:14.890 --> 0:12:17.250 my coworkers give me side eyes when I do zoom 0:12:17.250 --> 0:12:19.610 meetings at my desk with my headphones on. But where 0:12:19.610 --> 0:12:21.850 else am I supposed to do them? Is it okay 0:12:21.890 --> 0:12:23.570 to do calls at my desk? 0:12:24.330 --> 0:12:26.689 M What do you think for me personally? 0:12:26.730 --> 0:12:29.490 I'm like, yeah, calls is not the biggest issue that 0:12:29.610 --> 0:12:32.090 I have with my desk mates. Okay, So I want 0:12:32.090 --> 0:12:33.090 to kind of expand this. 0:12:33.290 --> 0:12:35.370 Okay, I want a whole list of your issues that 0:12:35.410 --> 0:12:36.770 you have with your desk, Maes. 0:12:38.650 --> 0:12:41.290 I've been working at a desk for around six years now, 0:12:41.330 --> 0:12:44.410 so I've experienced a lot. I think we can broaden 0:12:44.450 --> 0:12:47.569 this out to I guess what's appropriate to do at 0:12:47.570 --> 0:12:50.570 your desk and what isn't. And I have done a 0:12:50.690 --> 0:12:54.329 very controversial list of workplace etiquettes I will link in 0:12:54.370 --> 0:12:56.450 the show notes because I feel like people would. 0:12:56.210 --> 0:12:57.090 Love to fight about that. 0:12:57.530 --> 0:13:00.290 But for me, I think there's so many other things, 0:13:00.410 --> 0:13:04.050 like shoes off. Like I've had people who've had their 0:13:04.050 --> 0:13:06.410 shoes off at their desks who are like either sitting 0:13:06.410 --> 0:13:07.809 opposite me or next to me. 0:13:08.010 --> 0:13:09.370 What offends you about that? 0:13:09.810 --> 0:13:12.650 It's just we're in a workplace, Like I don't need 0:13:12.650 --> 0:13:15.170 to see your dogs in like my time, Like I'm 0:13:15.210 --> 0:13:16.570 not getting paid to watch that. 0:13:17.130 --> 0:13:17.929 It's too much. 0:13:18.290 --> 0:13:23.090 I think. Also, talking and laughing really loudly at your desk. 0:13:23.370 --> 0:13:26.210 I'm not like a fun police. I am a really 0:13:26.210 --> 0:13:28.410 fun person. I enjoy a laugh and a giggle and 0:13:28.450 --> 0:13:32.209 a talk. But I think it's the constant laughing and 0:13:32.290 --> 0:13:35.329 talking and then not inviting me into that, Like when 0:13:35.370 --> 0:13:37.810 I see like two desk mates like having a big 0:13:37.930 --> 0:13:40.250 chat and I'm like, oh, at least include me. But 0:13:40.330 --> 0:13:42.930 I understand the whole meeting at the desk if it's 0:13:42.970 --> 0:13:46.370 really loud. I mean, there are workplaces like our office 0:13:46.450 --> 0:13:49.370 right now. The meeting rooms do get booked quite a lot, 0:13:49.450 --> 0:13:51.290 so there's no other place to have a meeting, but 0:13:51.410 --> 0:13:54.010 at your desk. I would just be careful of what 0:13:54.090 --> 0:13:55.890 kind of meeting it is. Like if you're having a 0:13:55.890 --> 0:13:59.250 meeting and you're it's like a really private meeting. Sometimes 0:13:59.290 --> 0:14:00.010 I can't be. 0:14:00.010 --> 0:14:01.850 Heard in another peace in office. 0:14:02.090 --> 0:14:02.410 Yeah. 0:14:02.610 --> 0:14:04.329 Yeah, it's so hard, isn't it. 0:14:04.450 --> 0:14:06.330 I want to hear some more on your list, and 0:14:06.330 --> 0:14:08.170 then maybe I can add to it as well, because 0:14:08.210 --> 0:14:11.010 I have a lot of issues with desk behavior as well, 0:14:11.050 --> 0:14:14.090 but this is kind of the problem. Like I remember, 0:14:14.130 --> 0:14:16.090 I actually got in trouble for this exact thing. So 0:14:16.490 --> 0:14:18.890 it was when sort of video calls first became a thing, 0:14:18.930 --> 0:14:21.410 maybe I don't know, five, six, seven years ago, and 0:14:22.290 --> 0:14:24.250 I was taking them all at my desk and my 0:14:24.370 --> 0:14:26.730 manager actually had to pull me aside and say, just 0:14:26.730 --> 0:14:28.970 want you to know some people have said that your 0:14:29.050 --> 0:14:31.250 voice is really loud when you're taking these calls, and 0:14:31.290 --> 0:14:32.610 we need to figure out something else. 0:14:32.650 --> 0:14:34.170 So I actually got like, this was me. 0:14:34.850 --> 0:14:36.770 If they're not a bunch of places where you actually 0:14:36.770 --> 0:14:38.570 can take these calls, then literally where else are you 0:14:38.570 --> 0:14:40.850 supposed to take them? So yeah, you sort of do 0:14:40.930 --> 0:14:41.850 have to take them at your desk. 0:14:41.890 --> 0:14:42.370 Sometimes. 0:14:42.490 --> 0:14:45.490 I'm a big fan of the phone call walking meeting, 0:14:45.570 --> 0:14:47.210 so if it's someone that you can do it as 0:14:47.250 --> 0:14:48.770 a phone call with, but often you're like looking at 0:14:48.810 --> 0:14:51.170 docs and typing, so it's not it's not going to work. 0:14:51.210 --> 0:14:53.330 But can I add some more things to your lists 0:14:53.330 --> 0:14:54.530 that annoy me that people do? 0:14:55.130 --> 0:14:55.490 Yes? 0:14:55.730 --> 0:14:58.210 Please, This is kind of the opposite of making noise, 0:14:58.250 --> 0:15:01.930 but this annoys me. If you are having a conversation 0:15:02.050 --> 0:15:04.130 with someone and you like talking about probably like a 0:15:04.170 --> 0:15:07.530 work thing, and someone else who is not anything to 0:15:07.570 --> 0:15:10.170 do with the project or the conversation just sits there 0:15:10.210 --> 0:15:12.490 staring at you guys and like maybe it's because we're 0:15:12.490 --> 0:15:14.770 talking too loudly in retrospect, but say you're not talking 0:15:14.810 --> 0:15:16.890 too loudly. Sometimes they would just sit there and stare 0:15:16.930 --> 0:15:19.130 and like listen in I'm like, why are you listening 0:15:19.130 --> 0:15:21.970 to this? And then the other one that sometimes annoys 0:15:22.010 --> 0:15:24.050 me kind of the opposite of what you said, which 0:15:24.090 --> 0:15:25.970 is if everyone's having he so fun and like having 0:15:26.010 --> 0:15:28.170 a laugh and there's someone that's just sitting there the 0:15:28.210 --> 0:15:30.850 whole time with their headphones on. They never talk, they 0:15:30.850 --> 0:15:34.010 never interact for like long periods of time. I'm like, 0:15:34.130 --> 0:15:36.530 you are bringing the vibe down, and that is annoying. 0:15:36.770 --> 0:15:38.250 That's actually so true. 0:15:38.410 --> 0:15:40.490 Every hour or so, just take your headphones off and 0:15:40.610 --> 0:15:41.570 give us a little something. 0:15:42.010 --> 0:15:45.370 Yeah, what about people who like if you have your 0:15:45.370 --> 0:15:48.010 headphones on? Because I guess I'm like in the editorial section, 0:15:48.050 --> 0:15:50.010 we're all riders. So sometimes we'll be in the zone 0:15:50.050 --> 0:15:53.090 of like writing a piece and then someone will just 0:15:53.130 --> 0:15:55.010 like tap you on the shoulder and just be like 0:15:55.210 --> 0:15:57.250 take him off, take them off. And you take them 0:15:57.250 --> 0:15:59.250 off and they'll be like, how's your day? I'm like, 0:15:59.290 --> 0:16:00.050 what do you mean? 0:16:00.210 --> 0:16:01.010 How is my day? 0:16:01.050 --> 0:16:04.690 There? So I guess it's like, don't do it to us, 0:16:04.770 --> 0:16:07.410 don't wear your head phones, but then don't interrupt us. 0:16:07.410 --> 0:16:11.010 If we're wearing our headphones, that's bad. We're bad. That's bad. 0:16:11.930 --> 0:16:14.010 So yeah, back to the question. Then, what do you reckon? 0:16:14.090 --> 0:16:15.730 Can you take zoom calls at your desk? 0:16:16.330 --> 0:16:16.890 Yeah? 0:16:16.970 --> 0:16:18.850 Yeah, I go, yes, but try and keep your voice 0:16:18.890 --> 0:16:19.530 a little bit low. 0:16:19.730 --> 0:16:22.410 Learn from my mistakes, and then also tell your co 0:16:22.490 --> 0:16:25.290 workers that they're getting some juicy details from your meetings. 0:16:25.370 --> 0:16:26.050 It's a win win. 0:16:26.210 --> 0:16:29.130 Make the call really interesting, just like drop some little 0:16:29.450 --> 0:16:34.690 like in jokes in personal exactly. Okay, thank you for 0:16:34.730 --> 0:16:37.050 helping us clear the b's inbox today. If you've got 0:16:37.050 --> 0:16:39.250 a work question, send it our way. As you know, 0:16:39.330 --> 0:16:41.010 we won't include your name. If you don't want us to. 0:16:41.370 --> 0:16:43.250 You'll find a link to submit those questions in the 0:16:43.250 --> 0:16:45.570 show notes, or drop me a DM on Instagram. 0:16:45.570 --> 0:16:46.650 I love hearing from you guys. 0:16:46.850 --> 0:16:48.490 Oh my god, I'm going to drop you a damn 0:16:49.010 --> 0:16:53.410 cause I keep me enough. And if you missed it 0:16:53.490 --> 0:16:57.010