Question...

[pen_grunt]

When two of your co-workers are bickering across the hall (not full-out fighting, but sniping and whining in a very uncomfortable way), do you:

a) Get up and close your door, thus removing the irritating noise, but alerting said co-workers to the fact that their bickering has been overheard all this time...

or

b) Just ignore it, thus being more and more annoyed and overhearing more of a conversation that may not be appropriate for you to overhear...

or

c) Huff very loudly at them (they're across the narrow hallway from me) and then get up and SLAM the door in obvious irritation, pointedly reminding them that due to their elevated voices their conversation is NO LONGER PRIVATE...

or

d) Covertly alert the boss so he can come walking down the hall at a strategic time, thus involving him in their bickering and also stopping the fighting...

Decisions, decisions. So far I'm sticking with b...but due to lack of concentration I'm not getting any work done right now, that's for sure.

Comments

[luno.livejournal.com]

I'm not nearly so subtle. I'd join in the argument, telling them they're both acting like irritating children (indoor voice, anyone?) and to take it to a conference room.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, but now there's the problem that they're both female, and have actually started crying.

"I just feel...*sniff*...that when you use that tone of voice...*sniff*...I have to be defensive."

"Well...*sniff*...this is why I never...*sniff*...ask you anything...*sniff*...you always make me feel stupid."

*eyeroll*

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

*busts out laughing*

This is one of the few good things I've found about cubes and - moreso - offices . . . you can usually hide your snickering at such ridiculousness . . .

*gggls*

[pointedthings.livejournal.com]

haha, working with women kinda sucks. I had to jump on a district conference call this morning (all women). Everyone was announcing their presence, an all of the sudden it was all, "Oh, you're back from maternity leave?"..."aww, only 19 weeks, that must have gone by so fast."...(much oohing and ahhing about the baby)..."When is your scheduled c-section?"..."Not soon enough, I'm retaining so much water."..."Oh, you poor thing."...(all the 'fake' responses are driving me to tears from difficult to suppress laughter)

Freaking gross and freaking unprofessional. I can't believe we can start a conference call on time due to women making babies.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, working with a particular KIND of woman really, really sucks.

This co-worker also incessantly whines about how her dog has separation anxiety...and how bad she feels when she has to leave him.

Then she takes extra long lunch breaks so she can go home and see him--so he doesn't feel so anxious.

Scheduled C-section? *snort* Unless there's a medical reason (like the baby in breech, etc) that's the number one sign of a vanity pregnancy. I.e., I'm having this child because it's SO IN to have a baby right now.

[tabby-of-doom.livejournal.com]

They are being inconsiderate and unprofessional, and they are affecting your work. Someone needs to alert them that they are being jerks. Close your door.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I ended up doing the polite door close. Apparently that was too passive-aggressive. They kept on bickering (which I can hear through the door).

I should have slammed it.

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Definitely close your door! Option B just enables them. I also kind of like the involve-the-boss option. If it happens yet again, I might notify the boss that there's a Situation going on. After all, it's not your job to try to deal with their ridiculous conflict. That's what people get paid bossin' money for.

[pen-grunt.livejournal.com]

I love that in a world of instant messaging and email, I can quickly get the boss to just take a casual stroll down the hallway--thus ending most things that annoy me about my co-workers.

It's passive-aggressive to the max, but I'm the one who has to sit across from (one of) the bickering duo and get subsequent dirty looks for interfering--not the boss.

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. And it's not your place anyway. Slamming your door and huffing would be passive-aggressive AND unproductive -- at least getting the boss gets results!

[llythefaerye.livejournal.com]

*carefully, precisely, fills in the little circle next to "a" with her #2 pencil*