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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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 Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:03 am Post subject: How to work with annoying people |
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Koreans i find generally easygoing, but how do you handle working with other wayguks? Most i'm Ok with and I enjoy the 4 I work with now- but some have been difficult to say the least.
USATODAY.com
How to work with annoying people
Sunday March 19, 8:51 pm ET
There is always at least one person at work who rubs you the wrong way or, worse, seems out to get you.
http://biz.yahoo.com/usat/060319/13465603.html?.v=6
Anyhow, recognise any of these characters?
The Exploder. A charismatic person who detonates at the drop of a hat and tends to shout.
The Empty Pit. A troubled person who constantly seeks advice but refuses to follow it.
The Saboteur. This person is your biggest fan to your face but is committing acts of sabotage behind your back.
The Pedestal Smasher. Initially, this type is full of compliments, but they're really just building you up to knock you down.
The Chip-on-the-Shoulder. This type feels they've been wronged by life in some way and is often hostile or defensive. |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:09 am Post subject: |
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One guy recommended, 'the less you say in the staffroom, I find, the better'.
Don't you find it's a pretence? I mean chances are nobody really likes each other, not really, just thrown together by chance for a wage. Then it's up to pretence to make it bearable. But not too much because it's faking it, and silence is golden in the end.
Then there's the whole mad scrambling butt kissing thing. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:26 am Post subject: |
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| captain kirk wrote: |
One guy recommended, 'the less you say in the staffroom, I find, the better'.
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good idea...
Have to say I prefer working with people over the age of 30 at least. if they've been in Korea before, its a bonus too. Newbies can be too much hassle sometimes.
Sometimes though i do sense a sort of competition to impress the Korean teachers and show who's boss. Far better to get dates outside the workplace: don't add stress to work, theres enough already..
Also I find theres often one wayguk who takes it upon himself to put down Korea constantly in front of them. That can be fun, I agree, but at least wait til they're not around:) |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: |
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I hate the butt-kissers the most myself.
They'll butt-kiss even when they know the boss is screwing them over. But they don't care that you don't like being screwed over and look bad because you're not a butt-kisser too.
Down with butt-kissers!! |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Two newbies I knew both did the same annoying thing. One whistled that tune the assasin nurse whistles in the movie Kill Bill as she strolls down the hosptial corridor carrying the injection on the tray, 'whew, whew, whew-whew-whew (next tone up) whew, whew, whew-whew-whew'. For weeks, happy to be here, feeling potent having landed on his feet in a strange land and making good coin, fancy that.
And the other newbie kept saying in a sing-songy voice, 'whew, life is like ah box o' chocOlates. You jus never know whaat yor gonna get...'
They both did these things, repeatedly, for weeks so happily they didn't realize a jaded oldie was becoming secretly irate. Their day will come, I thought, they'll see.... |
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Big Mac
Joined: 17 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| captain kirk wrote: |
Two newbies I knew both did the same annoying thing. One whistled that tune the assasin nurse whistles in the movie Kill Bill as she strolls down the hosptial corridor carrying the injection on the tray, 'whew, whew, whew-whew-whew (next tone up) whew, whew, whew-whew-whew'. For weeks, happy to be here, feeling potent having landed on his feet in a strange land and making good coin, fancy that.
And the other newbie kept saying in a sing-songy voice, 'whew, life is like ah box o' chocOlates. You jus never know whaat yor gonna get...'
They both did these things, repeatedly, for weeks so happily they didn't realize a jaded oldie was becoming secretly irate. Their day will come, I thought, they'll see.... |
It seems that all the newbies at my school exhibited similar behaviour to what you describe. I attributed it to immaturity and tried to block it out.
It seemed the only things they could talk about were pop songs and singers (with annoying impressions), movies (complete with memorized lines) and hockey (with just about every useless fact imagineable).
After listening to this day in and day out I just about went crazy. There was about as much intelligent conversation in that staff room as there is in the National Enquirer. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:59 am Post subject: |
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Quote Big mac
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| I hate the butt-kissers the most myself. |
I look after Number 1 and expect the others to manage their own affairs. I will give advice, but I don't force anyone to form a "union of wayguks" and be the big white man leader.
captain kirk
| Quote: |
And the other newbie kept saying in a sing-songy voice, 'whew, life is like ah box o' chocOlates. You jus never know whaat yor gonna get...'
They both did these things, repeatedly |
I know what you mean..its hard to hack the smartass who comes loaded with a set of repeating catchphrases.
I have 3 basic office types i loathe:
1) the copycat This person is relatively new to Korea/teaching and copies your ideas, then takes credit for them. This can be in the form of work initiatives, or even extend to parasitizing your lifestyle instead of finding their own.
2) Conversation hogger this person feels bored in Korea and doesn't get enough attention. He assumes everyone wants to hear the sound of his voice constantly, and intrudes on everyone elses conversation. Forces a bad atmosphere/ irritated standoff.
3) Know all thinks he knows best in every way and assumes koreans are all stupid. attempts to control the workplace. Ends up being ignored but still doesn't get it, or worse, forces an angry confrontation. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:13 am Post subject: |
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| The best way to deal with annoying coworkers is just ignore them. I spent the past 2 years working with some people I couldn't stand and I know they felt the same about me. The first year, there was a Canadian chick there and we hated each other. She thought I was a princess(hahaha) and I thought she was a low-class dumbass whose Mom had her when she was 16 and raised the family oin welfare, as in leeching off the government. She thought it was OK to have babies out of wedlock and she went around telling her students her sister was pregnant but not married because she is a liberated girl. Geez!!! You just don't talk to 7 year olds like that. She teamed up with an other Canadian girl and they picked on me the whole year. Then in my second year at the same school, I worked with a fellow American girl who always kissed the manager's butt. I made barking noises to another teacher when she walked into the room. I nicknamed them the fox and the hound. hahaha!!! |
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morellid
Joined: 26 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:50 pm Post subject: Working with Princesses |
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It's especially hard to work with the Princess who thinks they're better than others. They often create unnecessary divisions at work, and they usually don't know how to spell.
In order to minimize this individual's subterfuge, resulting from low self-esteem, I find it useful to shake your head up-and-down alot and say "uh-huh".[/img][/code] |
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periwinkle
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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I don't like complainers. I may complain on this board, but not in the office. There's always a chance someone will overhear you and become offended. Also, negative people are tough to work with. It starts to grate on you after awhile.
The Kill Bill thing was funny- I can totally imagine that guy doing that^^ |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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We all have faults, both character and professional ones. I like to think i can put up with a lot, but it's the people who intentionally try to screw you over that I can't stand. There's butt kissing and then there's spreading rumours and actively trying to sabatoge someone else's well being. For what? So you can be on the 'in' for a few months before we all leave and start over somewhere else? Pathetic.
Its the people who are all nice to your face and ask you questions and then when you tell them you had a tough day go running to the boss and tell her that you hate your job and can't adjust to Korea. And then they do it everyday until it affects your job. That's awesome, really. Loser. |
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the eye
Joined: 29 Jan 2004
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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| captain kirk wrote: |
One guy recommended, 'the less you say in the staffroom, I find, the better'.
Don't you find it's a pretence? I mean chances are nobody really likes each other, not really, just thrown together by chance for a wage. Then it's up to pretence to make it bearable. But not too much because it's faking it, and silence is golden in the end.
Then there's the whole mad scrambling butt kissing thing. |
yeah.
and don't you find that some tend to engange in behavior that is totally different from how they would act back home? i mean there are certain types of politics and office behavior that i've seen from waegukin here that would never be accepted back home. |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Desperate. Guy from N.Z. said, 'I try not to piss off those I'm beholden to. I live in their apartment, they pay my wage'. First year, he felt far from home and dependent so he butt-kissed for stability. He unified with the admin power structures and became a borg, all plugged in and remorselessly puckered up for butt. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:12 am Post subject: Re: Working with Princesses |
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[quote="morellid"]
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| It's especially hard to work with the Princess who thinks they're better than others. |
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| resulting from low self-esteem |
Surely someonewith low self esteem would think they were worse, not better than others? Are you the Fox or the hound? 
Just kidding.  I think I know what you mean. guys have the same problem too sometimes. I mean you'll get this new guy blow in like a whirlwind and think he's it. The feeding frenzy of curious attention from the female staff goes to his head instantly, but subsides as quickly as it started. He is then left as the ignored one- that is too hard to work with because he won't drop the "I am the greatest" act.
Some of the princesses like to dominate male attention while simultaneously doing as little work as possible too, i've noticed that..
the long process of a year of stressful working side-by-side every day ultimately tends to iron out character defects though. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:31 am Post subject: |
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I've had the good fortune to avoid saboteurs and buttkissers, which makes my least favorite coworkers the
blank slate. This person has no discernable personality, no interests, and when not working stays home -- ALL THE TIME. Trying to start a conversation with this person is excruciatingly painful.
guy who didn't show up when God was handing out brains. An utterly clueless, brain-dead moron. You may find yourself speculating that he expends all of his brain power on remembering to breathe. |
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