Coworkers, I'll Just Write about You if You Do This

Oh coworkers, who I've worked with these past three years, I have learned much from you. Some of what I've learned I won't model.

Saying "pretty please". Please don't. Especially when this comes with an approach of:

Generally acting cutesy. It doesn't help me in taking you seriously.*

Denying Coworkers' Vents
As long as these vents aren't taking over every other comment or story that a coworker shares, sometimes a coworker just needs you to listen first.

Asking me "Are you going home?" at the end of work day as a set up to enlist me to help you with a task you're working on. Clever guise, but annoying. If you know you have a program/volunteer event going on in advance, and typically you do, let me know in advance.

Do you have a minute?

Here's the thing, this question bothers me in specific contexts. If the context is "I have an issue with a client who doesn't have insurance, would you help me find a dentist for him?" I easily appreciate the tokenness of what "a minute" means. If the context is "I was assigned this task but really you should do it," then I don't. Probably because most associations with this last statement would annoy me and because I'm a literal person -- don't make it sound like asking me to do a task assigned to you will only take a minute to be bestowed onto my lap.

Jumping Up While We're Discussing Work Related Issue

We're still working out this issue, where are you going?? Be it a coworker or supervisor (and with some this is more of an issue than others), this bothers me quite a bit, especially if it happens with some frequency. "Oh, shoot," my coworker says, "that reminds me," and jumps up to leave my office. No, we're not done!

* Yes, I'm very serious. At work. And when not, I'm not cute.

For mirrored post, see modeling behavior from coworkers.