Questions tagged [coworkers]
For questions about interacting with one's coworkers, whether local or remote.
216
questions
3
votes
1
answer
499
views
How to Re-establish Professional Boundaries with a Coworker?
Several months ago, I decided to invite a coworker to a personal social event where they met my friends, something I had never done before.
Subsequently, I began seeing them frequently outside of work....
- 33
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to deal with a younger lady who I may have inadvertently offended?
I seem to be having some interpersonal problems with a female co-worker in my workplace. To put it into context, I'm a middle-aged male and she is a fair bit younger (early 20s).
I first met her at a ...
- 181
1
vote
2
answers
321
views
How can I carefully inquire if I would be welcome to join a group of colleagues at their regular social event?
I have learned that a group of colleagues sometimes meet after work for a social activity. I might be interested to join them, but they have not invited me. How can I carefully inquire if they would ...
- 2,051
1
vote
1
answer
381
views
How to turn down all future invitations without sounding rude?
Situation:
I am invited to various functions by someone I see regularly (peers, coworkers, friends of friends). When I reject their invitations they will continue to invite me to things even if I ...
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How do I find out if this girl has a crush on me, without asking her directly?
I am working in an IT company as project manager. I have met this girl who is a software engineer in a different team. We have known each other for one year now.
She likes to talk to me. She calls me ...
- 23
4
votes
2
answers
833
views
How do I deal with an office colleague whom I cannot avoid and he just won't stop talking about his favorite topic?
I like a little social interaction with my colleagues. I've spoken 1-1 for quite a while in order to get to know my colleagues at my new desk job.
There is a particular colleague who is obsessed with ...
- 1,908
2
votes
2
answers
533
views
How to complain to co-worker about their behavior using non-violent communication?
I work in a shelter and the other day my coworker and a client got into a protracted, heated exchange. The client suffers from some paranoia and delusions (mild) so cannot really be counted on to ...
- 23
3
votes
1
answer
578
views
Inviting a colleague to hang out without giving the impression I'm interested in something more than friendship
I have one collaborator from another country for whom I have great admiration. In fact I'm learning a lot with her and I think she is amazing both professionally and as a person, and I would like to ...
user35094
3
votes
1
answer
422
views
How to tell coworker to learn and do it themselves?
I started using Docusign about 4 months ago. I have a coworker who needed to learn how to use Docusign as well and we attempted to connect so that I can show her how to use it.
First attempt was not ...
- 31
2
votes
0
answers
254
views
How do I nudge my coworker to reframe his mindset from 'me' to 'we'
I just joined a new company. My immediate coworker, who's also been assigned at my line manager, takes a lot of pride in the work he's done. Even when it came to my onboarding and in general, I notice ...
- 131
0
votes
1
answer
283
views
If I know my interlocutor native language, it is approprieate to respond them using it? [closed]
I got an email in English from a staff member, and it turns out that he speaks the same native language as me (which is not English).
Would it be rude/appropriate to respond to the email in our native ...
- 11
3
votes
1
answer
672
views
How to become a closer friend with someone of the opposite sex
Context
A couple of months ago, I (24 M) moved into a new country and a new job. I didn't know anyone over here but I met quite a lot of good people at work. One of those people is a girl (23) who's ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
996
views
A friend always talks in dry-professional language even though being very close to me for years
It is strange that one of my close friends, who I know for years and have spent a lot of time in recreational activities, talks to me in very dry-professional language. It is a very minor thing, but ...
user9533
4
votes
1
answer
622
views
How to reach out to an estranged coworker without coming across as nosy?
I have worked with Alice for five years, and we had a pretty standard work relationship, not really friends, but appreciated each other.
We did not talk since I left the company two years ago.
I had ...
- 143
0
votes
1
answer
224
views
How to start the interaction in one online meeting in a friendly manner?
I have always had some issues to start interactions. Things usually go smoother when the other person starts talking. But there are times I need to start the interaction and I often end up doing it in ...
user32212
1
vote
1
answer
668
views
How to tell my senior friend stop talking me about the life's experience?
I have a senior friend (colleague) who keeps talking to me about her experience even something it costs me a lot of time (one or two hours per time) unnecessarily. She may want me to be better or else ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
271
views
How to respectfully reject invitation to joint work from a colleague?
A colleague of mine is inviting me to meetings with them "to do joint work". The colleague is new, so the "joint work" is more a competence transfer.
I fully embrace the idea that ...
- 153
5
votes
1
answer
762
views
I have a co-worker from India, who has lost several family members to covid. How is it most appropriate to express condoleances?
I am an academic in a US university. My co-worker is a more junior academic who grew up in India and has family in New Delhi. Today I learned that he has lost several family members (uncles, aunts, ...
- 424
2
votes
2
answers
727
views
How to avoid being a wallflower in a group conversation
Is there anything I can do to avoid being the only person who doesn’t say anything in a social group setting?
The obvious answer is to talk, but I find it difficult to (i) find the right time to ...
- 33
1
vote
2
answers
837
views
How to apologize after unwanted sarcastic comment while giving feedback?
A colleague of mine sent her thesis to me to give comments on it. I really liked the work. So I replied saying it was an interesting study and nice attempt. Wished her all the best.
I later realised ...
7
votes
1
answer
804
views
How to stop coworker from tuning me out
Issue
One of my coworkers has a habit of "tuning me out" while I am talking. This involves completely ignoring me and working on something else.
In Person
This has happened before the ...
- 173
3
votes
1
answer
322
views
How to have honest talk about current job with ex-colleagues?
When I switch jobs I have colleagues that we get along and keep in touch.
When we meet I'm find myself in a situation where I have to explain about my current employer and the job I do and to give ...
- 133
7
votes
2
answers
515
views
How to gain group respect in a workplace setting?
This question is posted as first person but on the behalf of another person. Some details might be lacking.
I work in a nursing home, as a full time employee since two weeks. My contract is for a ...
- 4,760
4
votes
2
answers
890
views
Dealing with a Colleague who never stops eating
At the moment I am working with one other person in an office. I have no complaints about him, but he eats continually and quite loudly.
The problem is he mostly eats bags of snacks and nibbles so it ...
- 247
22
votes
3
answers
8k
views
How do I politely turn down requests to show wedding photos?
I got married recently and have changed my name at work. People have noticed and are now asking for wedding photos. How do I tell them politely that no, I'm not going to show them? Lying and saying I ...
- 331
6
votes
2
answers
455
views
How do I make sure I don't get credited for other people's work?
At work I have a co-worker who frequently gives me credit for the accomplishments of my female colleague. I am acting primarily as a consultant on the project where as she and her team are the ones ...
- 789
3
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How can I deal with a large age gap between me and coworkers?
How can one handle age discrepancy between a local clique and self?
For background, this is well pre-COVID-19 situation, so it does not include the pandemic as a factor.
Around two years ago, I worked ...
4
votes
1
answer
757
views
How to get coworker to stop saying clearly offensive stories when I can hear
I have a coworker (call him Tim) who says disgusting things and tells disturbing stories. I'm trying to think of a non-confrontational way to get him to stop. Often times he's not talking to me, but I ...
- 143
5
votes
5
answers
1k
views
How can I be left alone during the work day without looking awkward or offensive?
I am not a total introvert, as I am very social and stuff but when I am working during breaks or on transportation I want to be like an introvert. I guess there is a word for that which is ambivert. ...
- 51
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to approach a co-worker about stealing my sales?
I work in a small office where each of has our own set of clients that we have established relationships with over the years. I've recently moved desks and am now sitting almost side by side with ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
439
views
How to deal with lack of reciprocity in sharing information?
I am a student. Often times, I share with fellow students information about things I discover -- such as an interesting activity to do, an interesting class in another department, information about ...
- 185
8
votes
3
answers
5k
views
How can I tell a coworker about my feelings for her without damaging our working relationship?
A coworker and close friend of mine is in a serious relationship; one day she may well marry her current boyfriend. Even so, I’ve had strong romantic feelings for her for approximately a year. I’ve ...
- 91
1
vote
1
answer
440
views
How to deal with my project manager?
I've been a software developper at an IT company for the last 3.5 years now and I've pretty much enjoyed it so far. About 9 months ago, I've asked to work on another project as my former attributions ...
- 11
3
votes
2
answers
326
views
How to tell my CTO that his design ideas are not good?
I have been working remotely with a developer that has become my main and only partner in a business project - a website - I have. I am the CEO and I'd like him to be the CTO if this becomes a bigger ...
1
vote
1
answer
176
views
Helping with Business Grammar
We have some employees who frequently communicate with customers. These employees are native English speakers and yet somehow their written communications come across as though they really struggle ...
- 2,472
1
vote
1
answer
387
views
How to tell the secretary that some of their emails are not needed?
My office is doing teleworking. My team's secretary is forwarding every day several (5 on average) emails that I already received through a general mailing list.
I want to tell them that we already ...
- 3,249
8
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How to gently turn down digital small-talk and prevent any new attempts at having it?
The corona virus has everybody working from home. And it seems all of management is recommending to 'stay in contact', to talk with each other digitally. Which may be fun, when it's actually planned ...
- 33.9k
2
votes
1
answer
506
views
How to communicate face-to-face with a person who never stops talking and listen?
I have a colleague at work who when speaking will keep talking without taking a breath AT ALL. I recorded our last call and checked the time he was talking vs. the time I was talking. He was talking ...
24
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How can I assert my domain knowledge, while signalling openness to useful information, over email?
My current project at work is part of a product that many people use internally, with an active email list for user feedback. I recently pushed out a rather visible change and unsurprisingly someone ...
- 13.6k
0
votes
1
answer
562
views
How to ask a C-level executive to fix their smoke detector?
A c-level executive at my company (US, ~300 employees) has a low battery in their smoke detector. While this person is on calls the periodic beeping is extremely distracting and annoying to me. There ...
- 115
6
votes
1
answer
675
views
How to work with a friend without damaging friendship?
Context
Recently, I had meeting with my bosses to discuss my performance. At the end of this meeting they asked if I could help them by "putting out feelers" for a possible replacement for someone ...
- 115
2
votes
1
answer
376
views
Asking a previous manager to sign a form at a group dinner
I organised a catch up with my ex-colleagues and I’ve also invited my former manager, and I wanted to ask her to sign a form for my professional certification.
I’m concerned that she might think that ...
- 51
2
votes
0
answers
297
views
Helping friend with project, how to tell him I'm not comfortable using my info for registering something? [closed]
My friend wants to make a website and I would like to help him do this.
He asked me what free hosting to use and I suggested one. Part of the registration process is to upload photo ID.
My friend ...
- 75
5
votes
1
answer
431
views
How to talk about ongoing nervous behaviours with boss without being offensive?
I am working an office job under a manager who I like and trust. He's very competent, a good person, a hard worker and generally open to feedback. This is his first leadership role (about 2 years in ...
- 51
2
votes
0
answers
2k
views
Is it appropriate to say “happy valentines day” to a colleague? [closed]
By colleague, I mean the client of my company who I work for.
There is no romantic intention whatsoever, I simply want to be nice.
In terms of my proximity of relationship to the person, the client (...
- 51
5
votes
1
answer
915
views
How to politely tell someone to clean their nose? [duplicate]
Today at work one of me colleagues was talking to me but I had no concentration on what she was saying because there was something on her nose and I was thinking about "how am I supposed to tell her?"
...
- 963
4
votes
1
answer
896
views
How to know when a conversation is over, and how to end it?
This happens to me a lot at work. I'm in a conversation with a coworker and I can't tell the difference between a pause/change topics and when the conversation is over. I'll frequently start walking ...
- 41
8
votes
1
answer
734
views
How to tell someone that I'm on the autism spectrum while mitigating the risk of not been believed?
I'm on the autism spectrum. My manager knows about that but my coworkers don't.
I have been working here for a little more than a year and not telling my coworkers that I'm on the spectrum is really ...
- 17.4k
2
votes
2
answers
807
views
How to respond to a colleague who ghosted me out for a chat?
Its been a month that I have joined this new office. I have met quite a few male colleagues in the office; it is more of wishing each other whenever we come across.
There is this one guy with whom I ...
- 463
3
votes
2
answers
902
views
How to gently ask friends to stop being so self-deprecating?
I'm in a highly ranked science PhD program, but my department has this odd self-deprecating culture where conversations can quickly turn into who least deserves to be in the program and who sucks the ...
- 366