Is There a Troublemaker at Your Company? Is It You?

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a certain kind of role at work – the role of rebel or scapegoat. Rebels (or scapegoats) are those individuals who view themselves as the truthtellers at work. They are willing to challenge the status quo and fight for what they think is right. Unfortunately, they can be labeled by others as troublemakers and get blamed when things go wrong. We’ll start with a question from someone who seems to be alienating coworkers without knowing it and go on to address scapegoats at work

Afraid to Manage Your Staff Because You Know Too Much?

Sometimes, the more you know about your staff’s personal lives, the harder it is to hold them accountable. In this podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss how challenging it can be to hold employees responsible for their work product, when you know too much about their challenges outside of work.

Is Someone Getting on Your Last Nerve?

My husband was noticeably irritated with me last night. He said that I was “yawn talking.” Do you know what yawn talking is? It’s when you keep talking even as you yawn. Apparently, I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and it’s extremely annoying.

My initial reaction after being accused of “yawn talking,” was to strike back. If I do that, then he “burp talks.” But that isn’t really the point. The point is, we’ve been sheltering in place for too long, and we’re getting on each other’s nerves. Critical words, verbal tics, grating habits, and nonverbal gestures that we might normally have shrugged off are getting to us.

You may find yourself in a similar situation. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve heard numerous complaints from my clients about other people’s bad behavior. It could be a boss who is making more-than-usual unreasonable demands. A family member who is acting out. A coworker who is chronically late – even for Zoom meetings. Perhaps you have an upstairs neighbor who is playing loud music or moving furniture late at night.

None of these may be new behaviors, but they feel more irritating today. It’s the emotional by-product of extended captivity in the name of staying safe.

If your nerves are frayed, your temper is quick, and you feel overly reactive to the behavior of others, you are not alone. The question is, what can we do to calm our systems down?

Here are a few tips:

Shift your energy – I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Confined living creates pent up energy which needs to be released one way or another. Run, jog, dance, squirm, have a pillow fight, take a bath, step outside, take ten deep breaths. Do something to shift the energy and relax your system. The more rigorous the movement, the better the release.

Ask yourself, “how important is it?” – If someone criticizes you, interrupts you, ignores you, makes a sarcastic remark, or offends you in some way, try to pause and ask yourself if it’s worth getting upset about. Is this a matter of life or death? Is your welfare truly threatened by this person/event/remark?

Let someone talk you off of the ledge – Sometimes you may know that you are over-reacting but you can’t help yourself. At these times, it’s smart to call a trusted friend or confidante, voice your complaint, and let them calm you down.

Try to find the humor – This isn’t always easy, but it’s well worth the effort. I am forever grateful to those people who can find the humor in difficult moments. Laughter relaxes the nervous system and puts small problems in their proper perspective. If you can find what’s funny in a tense exchange, both parties will benefit.

There is no miracle cure for our frayed nerves at this time. We don’t know exactly when we will be less confined, more mobile, less fearful. While we do our best to manage our lives during the pandemic, let’s all commit to doing what we can to soothe our over-worked nerves.

Katherine Crowley – Career Therapist and co-owner of K Squared Enterprises

Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.

If You’re Feeling Hysterical, It’s Probably Historical: My Crazy Office Overtime, Season 6

Katherine talks about historical triggers on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.

Often when we’re feeling emotional about something at work, it’s because it’s triggering a past experience.

Listen to this week’s podcast here.

#33: Best Of – Cliques – Season 6

Kathi and Katherine talk about cliques on this week’s episode of the My Crazy Office podcast.

First we give advice to a new employee who feels left out because her coworkers are divided into cliques.

Then we discuss how a manager should deal with a culture of cliques.

Loneliness At Work: My Crazy Office Overtime, Season 6

Kathi and Katherine talk about loneliness on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.

Do you feel lonely at work?

Listen to this week’s podcast here.

Multi-Generational Workplace: My Crazy Office Overtime, Season 6

Kathi and Katherine talk about multi-generational workplaces on this week’s My Crazy Office Overtime show.

How do you navigate working in a multi-generational office?

Listen to this week’s podcast here.

#20: How To Work For and With Friends – My Crazy Office, Season 5

Kathi and Katherine talk about working with friends on this week’s episode of the My Crazy Office podcast.

First we give advice about how to turn a personal relationship into a professional one.

Then we discuss the pluses and minuses of working with friends.