Most of the time we tend to think that “we, ourselves” are okay. Or maybe I should put it “we usually think that we are an okay person and act in an okay way when around others at work.”
We tend to forget about our personality “quirks” for the most part because they are just part of us and unless someone brings them to our attention we think nothing about them.
I saw the perfect example of this the other day when I was visiting a neighboring doctor’s office and it started me thinking about “how do people view me?”
I was waiting to check out of the doctor’s office and there were three assistants in the front office. One young woman was at the check out counter, another was filing charts and then there was a third woman sitting at a desk that was placed in the middle of the front office.
The woman sitting at the desk was just chatting away, not really talking to anyone in particular, just talking (and not quietly to herself). She was talking about the charts on her desk, the messages she got off of the service, and the music that was playing overhead.
No one really was listening to her, but she kept talking. She then focused on the music and asked one of the younger women, if she knew who the artist was and she did not know. She then said that she was not good with knowing the artists but really like this song and knew it was old and it was one of her favorites.
She then looked at me and asked “do you know who is singing this song?” I told her “no because I couldn’t even hear the music.” I am not sure she even heard me as she just started talking about something else.
I wished I would have had a video camera because this would have made a great training film. Her co-workers were just going about doing their work not paying any attention to her and she didn’t seem to mind she was entertaining herself, just chatting away.
I wondered how much work could she be getting done, when in the time I was there at the counter about five minutes she hadn’t stopped talking at all.
As I left the office I begin to think about the different personality quirks that I know I have and I wondered if I allowed them to interfere with my work or others at work.
I shared the experience with my co-workers and boss and we all agreed that self-evaluations are good and we need to stay aware if we are over-stepping boundaries and infringing on others time during work.
It was a great eye-opener for me, and opened the door for the office staff to have a conversation about it also.
What learning experiences have you had lately? Have you shared them with those you work with?
8/15/14
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