Edgar: British Office Gossip
How can I cope with my stupid co-workers?
DEAR PRUDENCE: Advice on manners and morals.
Little Miss Can't-Be-Wrong - How can I cope with my stupid co-workers?
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Hi Prudence,
I'm an office manager at a very small company, where I work with three other girls. In short, I am much smarter than my co-workers. When one of them asks a dumb question (i.e., "What's so bad about Fox News?"), I try to be sensitive and explain without making them feel stupid. Sometimes, though, I get very frustrated, and it's difficult to hold my tongue. Yesterday, my co-worker's sister came in to visit and announced shamelessly that she had never heard of Craigslist. After she left, I exclaimed to my other co-workers, "I can't believe she's never heard of Craigslist!" My co-workers defended her, saying they had never heard of Craigslist until they moved to New York City. I find this preposterous. I didn't say anything else because I didn't want to come off as a snob (which is probably how I'm coming off in this e-mail; my apologies). How does one handle working with people like this? I could keep my mouth shut and go with the flow, but it makes me feel dumb when I don't speak up—I feel that if I don't acknowledge their stupidity, then I'm not doing my duty as an informed young woman.
—Dumbed Down
Dear Dumbed,
Since you're so knowledgeable, I'll leave it to you to answer the following letter:
Dear Prudie,
The three of us work in a small office with an overbearing braggart who thinks it's her job to constantly tell us how smart she is and how dumb we are. If we say something that indicates we don't agree with her political views, she rolls her eyes and gives us a lecture on how to think. If it comes up that we don't know about some Web site she's familiar with, for example, she sighs and tells us it's impossible to believe that we could be that unsophisticated. Her attitude almost seems to be that she feels it's her obligation to point out how superior she is. In some small way, we feel sorry for her because she's so unlikable, but mostly we just can't bear the sight of her. How do we get her to shut up?—Sick of the Show-Off
Holiday Office Party Advice from Monster
(Here's an article in the Boston Globe by Chris Reidy)
Don't run amok at the holiday office party, and avoid bringing "arm-candy dates" because such behavior can "result in workplace gossip fodder for months to come."
That's a heads-up from Monster, the online careers and recruitment website with a big presence in Maynard.
"The most important thing employees should always remember regarding office holiday parties is, regardless of where the party is held, it is an extension of the workplace and you need to behave accordingly," Lori Erickson, Monster vice president of human resources, said in a statement.
Erickson added helpfully, "Getting drunk and making a spectacle of yourself can haunt you long after the holidays are over."
Some office-party tips from Monster:
Don't be a no-show - because workers who snub the holiday party "run the risk of seeming pompous."
See the party has an opportunity to "casually network with colleagues, people in other departments, and even executives."
Be sure to say "Thank you" to the party's host.
For additional tips on how to navigate this year's holiday office party, visit: http://career-advice.monster.com/business-etiquette/Office-Holiday- Party-Etiquette/home.aspx. Monster is the flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc.
Friday Office Email #26 - "Useful Cellphone Information"
Here are FIVE things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.
Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST - Subject: Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND - Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away,and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!"
THIRD - Subject: Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# and your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.
FOURTH - How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
And Finally....
FIFTH - Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
This is the kind of information your friends & co-workers don't mind receiving, so pass it on to everyone.
Religious Emails at Work
We all have at least one co-worker that loves to send EVERYONE these kind of emails. Enough Already!
Visit The Watchmaker today!
Friday's Office Email #25 - "Can You Park the Car?"
Use the 4 arrows on your keyboard and the space bar for brake.
This is really addictive. Click on the website below! Have fun!!
How to Call in Sick to Work
Big-E demonstrates how easy it is to effectively call in to work sick.
File Clerk: "I Quit"
Another one bites the dust! Our file clerk, the one that doesn't wash their hands, quit today. They simply put a "sticky note" on the supervisor's monitor saying "I Quit" and walked out.
No great loss for the company especially since the bulk of their day was spent surfing the internet.
Can Windex Fix Computer Crashes???
I'm convinced that some people are born with more common sense than others. In the case of Overtalker, she's one that lacks a great deal of it. Last week when her computer crashed and the IT Department was in the middle of replacing her system, she starts spraying her entire cubicle with Windex to clean the area behind her removed monitor.
"What the HELL are you doing?!" yelled the IT Guy, "Are you intentionally trying to electrocute me?!" Overtalker had sprayed all the electrical cords. "I was just trying to help" she said. "Thank you but Windex doesn't help fix computers."