Wednesday, October 23, 2013

"I don't care"

I'm annoyed with my Annoying Coworker.  When she's working on a project with our boss, she's completely engaged. Otherwise ... not so much. She doesn't care.

How do I know she doesn't care about her contribution to my projects? She is always on the phone (her cell, so she's not even pretending it's work related)  or working on her favorite freelance project (updating the menu for the restaurant owned by her sister and brother-in-law).

Oh yeah, and because she FUCKING TOLD ME.

Our creative team -- four of us -- all sit together in a super cube. I call it, "the clown car." Interior designers who specialize in offices call it, "open work space." The four of us are together all day long,
5 days a week. This was designed to help us collaborate but I think that in reality it just emphasizes our differences.

When I was done writing a project, I turned to our art directors and said, "Now who wants to work on this?" She didn't even turn away from her big Google Mail home page. "I don't care," she nearly moaned.

Later in the day, we were talking about another project and I asked her to try something a little different, design wise. She wrinkled her nose. Literally. Wrinkled. Her. Nose. I asked her what the problem was. She didn't already have the piece of artwork we'd need to explore as I requested.

I suggested ways we could get it. I was surprised she didn't know this, as her job is the pictures and mine is the words, but I was trying to be helpful and encourage her.

"I know," she responded sullenly. Meaning she just doesn't feel like doing what it takes to make our work better.

I like and admire our client. I want to do a good, honest job for them. I'd also like to keep this agency gig for as long as I can.

So sometimes I hate her.




4 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:51 AM

    I hear you!
    Don't even get me started on my coworkers (NOT all of them--just a couple!) who spend their time making personal calls, on Pinterest, on FaceBook, taking multiple smoke breaks . . . and then complain because they are so overworked. I work in a cube environment too--it definitely has it's up and down sides!
    (I think that you and I have very similar job descriptions!)

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  2. I don't know if I could work in that type of environment. I might be too tempted to have it out with the sullen co-worker. Sometimes I like a good fight.

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  3. Seriously unacceptable behavior. Unprofessional and unacceptable.

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  4. She sounds like a spoiled brat! I hope she doesn't manage to make you look bad along with her!

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