People who whistle in the office

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Dreamerb

Registered User
Messages
783
Really, why? Are they afraid they might start thinking if they're quiet for too long? Or that other people's productivity might put them to shame, so they'll scupper it by piercing out of tune whistling that'll distract everyone in their environs and shatter beyond repair that wonderful idea someone just had?

 
The trials and tribulations of everyday life are not to be underestimated.
That being said some may also point out that you have little enough to be worrying about.
 
Purple said:
That being said some may also point out that you have little enough to be worrying about.
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... no, if I complained about the fact that my computer's fan is irritatingly loud, that'd be a sure sign that I've little enough to be worrying about. Note that I am not making such a complaint - I'm just saying, is all.

However, with actual real work to do these days - a blissful change from a limbo period - distractions are Bad Things.
 
I find whistling can be ignored.... some fella talking very loudly on the phone in a small office is not as easy to ignore.
 
Work with a guy who is always whistling and it doesn't bother me but totally bothered a previous collegue who complained him. THe complianer was an uptight individual who talked VERy loudly on the phone which irritated a lot more people than the pleasant mannered whistler!
 
When I started in my new company a few years ago, it seemed to be acceptable to play music out loud at your desk! So I had a guy on one side playing opera, and a girl on the other side blasting David Bowie.
I coldnt believe it didnt annoy anyone else (in fact they used to have group discussions about what CD to put on next!). But when I mentioned it to them, they put in their earphones.

Actually, maybe I'm very intolerant - the guy beside me constantly taps his foot on the floor and drives me mad, and the fan on workstation of the guy behind me is so noisy, that I had to get him to move it! Oh, and the time the photocopier in front of me was squeaking constantly, and I had to turn it off..
I think I need to wear ear-plugs in the office!
 
I did read some research about concentration and the effect of distractions. On average it takes 5 minutes to fully concentrate on a task. If you are distracted in the course of the task, it can take a further 5 minutes to regain the concentration and continue the task. Imagine if you are continually distracted, how long it takes to complete a task!

I think this shows that an office environment where there are distracting individuals is not conducive to work as it can be difficult to attain a sufficent degree of concentration. I find that when the office is empty in the early morning or later in the evening, or one individual in particular is absent, I get a lot more work done. Alot of people I speak to find this to be the case in their own workplaces.
 
How about people who come up and interrupt you with questions without even bothering to check whether you're in the middle of something.
 
ragazza said:
When I started in my new company a few years ago, it seemed to be acceptable to play music out loud at your desk! So I had a guy on one side playing opera, and a girl on the other side blasting David Bowie.
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What about taking calls with music on either side of you? Unprofessional to say the least
 
micheller said:
My favorite is repetitive sniffing, GET A TISSUE
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Irritating, but there is worse. The Other Half and I were in New Zealand last year, and travelling around South Island on buses. On one of the long journeys (7 hours or so), we had a bus driver who occasionally spoke to passengers over the sound system. Sadly, he left it on in between times. The disturbing steady groaning and wheezing were interrupted only by the open-mouthed squelchy gum-chewing, all of which was audible over the MP3 player even before the battery died.

We laugh about it now... just about.
 
annR said:
How about people who come up and interrupt you with questions without even bothering to check whether you're in the middle of something.
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Any chance of anyone having any suggestions for this? I'm referring to about ten questions or more a day, from the same person everyday.

I've tried all I can think of - answering immediately, asking for questions to be emailed (this actually takes longer), offering to sit and go through in detail, asking for questions to be distributed among other ppl in the office etc, even mentioned it to the manager which I was and am very reluctant to do again, suggested further training, copying pages so they'd have a reference guide etc (I should add they don't write down anything). Nothing stops the questions......

I'm literally at wits end and would be interested to see how others cope with this?
 
Hey PM1234.

Are you talking about someone that works for you, someone that works with you or someone that works over you.

The reason I ask is that I had a similar problem with someone who worked for me. After being as patient as I could (doing pretty much all of what you said in your post) I started making notes of what they asked me. When they asked me a repeat question I pointed out when i had already answered it. Eventually I asked them if they were sure this was the career for them as they appeared to not want to understand things. They informed me that they really didn't care about the job (no surprise for someone who appears unwilling to learn) and went about putting that right.

If it was a peer, I would always help as much as possible as you never know when you might need the help however if nothing else works be blunt. If nothing it will air your grievances. Maybe ask them for their salary in exchange for doing their work.

If it was a boss then you normally don't have a choice (unless you want to go over their head - which usually reflects poorly). Its usualy par for the course to have to repeat things to the boss when he just doesn't care what you do as long as its done.
 
Hi Newby

Its a peer and I really have tried to be as helpful as I can. I was in the same situation myself when I started. Its been going on now for over seven months and it makes me really irritable which I try to hide (badly) by overly compensating. I know they find the job tough going but to be fair its due to a lack of effort too. I have spoken to my colleague and asked that questions are directed to other people as well. No such luck as colleague just gets defensive and where I sit is 'convenient'

I can't see any solutions that I haven't tried short of changing my desk?!

This all reads as terribly petty but its really starting to stress me out (not so much that I'd consider it a medical condition!) but any advice would be welcome.
 
Before they can finish their question, and without looking up from what you're doing (this bit is vital), say 'I dunno, ask <other peer's name>'. Repeat as necessary.

Alternatively, or for variety, try one-point dare no. 5 linked to above:
5) To signal the end of a conversation, clamp your hands over your ears and grimace.
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