Fun & Famous
SUPER SHITTY WORK SITUATIONS AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM
Awkward moments in the workplace: we all experience them at some point. The big question: how do you deal with them? Believe me: me, ‘Kiek the expert’, has experienced all of the situations below. And that's why I know better than anyone how to solve them:
What if...
...someone keeps ignoring your emails?
You've sent an important question/application email/invoice but you just aren't getting a response. And calling feels a bit over the top. My tip: send this sentence: “Dear... Could it be that the email below has slipped your attention?” A super simple and polite way to nudge someone. If you've ignored someone in return, it's also always a good excuse: “Sorry, I see that the email below has completely slipped my attention.” I learned this sentence at the School of Journalism and believe me: I've been using it every week since.
...you receive an email that isn't actually meant for you – but is ABOUT you.
Aii... This is embarrassing for both the sender and the receiver. You can of course ignore it (although the sender will probably figure out their mistake pretty quickly), but you can also save face and calmly reply: “I don't believe this email is meant for me. Shall we sit down and discuss it?” Let that pink elephant out of the room, hoppa.
...you don't want to introduce someone.
A friend of your mother asks if you can introduce her daughter at your workplace. But you already know this isn't going to work (because she behaves strangely/doesn't fit the company/has a criminal record/whatever) and so you don't really want to be associated with her. In such situations, it's best to say that you are not in a position to introduce people and refer your mother's friend very businesslike to someone else.
...a colleague gives you a public dressing down in front of the whole team.
You are always open to criticism, but now you could really go at him/her. The worst thing you can do is start a discussion at this moment. The issue is already public and it will get even more embarrassing if we end up with a Jerry Springer situation. Honestly say that you are open to criticism, but that you would prefer to discuss this one-on-one.
...your employer catches you watching a cat video during work hours.
Just when you're in chill mode watching a hilarious cat video for 5 minutes, your boss walks by. And then? A spontaneous: “Caught you!” followed by a laugh can make a lot of things better. Or you can of course say that it – duh – is research for work, like I do.
Written by: Kiki Düren
