Don’t be a jerk
When your day's off to a bad start, it's so easy to take it out on other people.And it's so hard not to.
Everything that's not going so swimmingly today is directly related to work. I got to the office later than I wanted, and so even before I get here I've got it in my mind that I'm running behind from the start. Then I'm scrambling to put together story budgets for the week, but it's hard to do without every staff member's input. Then I see my trash can is overflowing. Then, every time I start getting caught up or am trying to do something that's time-sensitive, like posting a story to the Web, I get interrupted. (Actually that last part happens every day, but hey, that comes with the job, just like doing 20 tasks at once does.)
It's all good, really. Ultimately, I'm getting paid to read and write, so that's a pretty sweet deal in my book. And I try to remember that, especially on days like today when at times it seems like everyone and everything is out to get on my nerves. (Some things always get on my nerves, though, like people talking on the phone so I can hear every excruciating detail of their personal lives. That's always annoying, even outside the office.)
In the process of fielding constant interruptions and doing 20 tasks at once, however, I launch into "all-business" mode and tend to become brusque or terse or curt or abrupt (some might even say short, ha!). Then it becomes more about efficiency than courtesy, totally out of necessity. I've got to take care of the business at hand, and we can exchange pleasantries later. In this line of work, meeting deadlines is as important as accuracy and fairness. And we're ALWAYS working on deadline.
In my hometown of Cleveland, the waiters and waitresses at restaurants often ask (not rudely or unkindly) "What do you want?" as opposed to "Hi, welcome to the restaurant, what can I get for you today?" I think that's perfectly acceptable. I'm probably in the minority, though, particularly in these parts. But for when time is money, I'd rather people just state their business and get on with it.
It's often convenient for people to take what you say or do the wrong way, though, to choose to be offended. I'm trying to remember that, because a lot of what I say and do comes across as harsh.
I don't want anyone to think I'm a jerk. But if they do, it's probably just as much my fault as it is theirs. And sometimes I do care what other people think.
P. S. -- It's something to keep in mind when blogging/responding to blogs, too!
Posted by on 01/28 at 02:28 PM
If I were greeted with “What do you want”, I’d leave. Plain and simple, it’s rude. I agree that people should be more considerate of others. Notice how some people hiding behind a keyboard come up with the most useless and tasteless responses. People should think before they post.
Lovingly yours,
Mr. Mookie