So, how do you tell them to GO AWAY?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Working in an office for a fairly large company, it should come as no surprise that there are lots of meetings. Meetings in the morning, meetings in the afternoon, meetings at lunch, meetings instead of lunch, meetings, meetings, meetings.

Lately, however, I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon. The rooms that our forefathers have built to house these meetings - Conference Rooms and/or offices - are standing largely empty.

Oddly, this seems to have started when people decided that in front of my desk/in the hallyway in front of the stairwell/in line in the cafeteria/any where it’s going to be inconvenient and annoying for someone else were even BETTER places to have meetings.

Is this strictly a “Mycompanyisfullofidiots” kinda thing, or does this happen to other people too?

I don’t know if it’s due to the more casual corporate culture or what, but people seem to feel as though they can strike up a meeting just about anywhere, and everyone else can just walk around them, and who cares if you’re making someone elses life miserable, or making it impossible for someone to concentrate on their job.

WHY IS THIS? We have lovely conference rooms. With doors that close. And projectors. And computers. They have offices. With walls. With doors, with windows, yippee!

Also, does anyone have any advice on how to tell people (one of whom is your supervisor) that the gabfest they’re having in front of your desk is making it impossible for you to get what you need to do done and to take it in his office?

Sorry for ranting, it’s been that kind of day…

2

Just say it, girlfriend. Like this, with a smile on your face: “You know guys, I hate to interrupt, but I am finding it very difficult to concentrate with you all here. Would you mind taking this meeting somewhere else? I’d really appreciate it.”

Go for it, my woman. What’s the worst that can happen? They’ll be annoyed for a minute. But they’ll leave!

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

3

I walk through them back and forth for little things intrupting the conversation continously until they get out of the doorway, or from by my desk.

I have grabed everything, and set up shop in the conference room too. Fine if I’m not using the computer for what I’m doing.

4

Oh, forgot to say that I definitely had the same problem. Coffee machine was in the front office, my desk was in the front office, therefore people felt they could hang around. I only had to ask them to leave once. But it did take me some time to work up the courage to ask. :smiley:

5

The following should apply. Please recite it verbatim:

“Gentlemen/ladies/folks (I’ll defer to your judgement on which salutation of the three to use),
It’s come to my attention that none of you gives an inkling about what I’m trying to accomplish here (This should be used only if you are really trying to accomplish something).
Have you not read the corporate mission statement (Assuming of course your company has a mission statement. If not try to steer the conversation in that direction, take down the good points, write a point paper, submit it to your supervisor’s boss {conspicuously noting that he had nothing to do with it and that you are much more competent at doing his/her job than he/she is}, and take all the credit and the subsequent promotion)?
Do you care to fulfill your duties within the company (At this point, if they laugh, laugh with them; ignore the rest of this post and play it off as if you were one of them)?
I suggest, nay insist (do not ignore the “nay insist”), that you return to your salaried positions immediately(refer to a parenthasied note)!
Oh, and have a nice day!”

Either that or:

“Get the fuck away from my desk you elephant felching ass mongers!
And have a nive day.”

{My resume available upon request}

Girlbysea (AKA: ChiefScott’s GBS)

6

Ahem.

That was me, ChiefScott.

Not my gorgeous better half.

Smilies, smilies, in a post
Which one do I hate the most?
Smirks and frowns and evil grins
Rolling eyes that really spin
They stick their tongues out if you please
Who the hell first thought of these?
Smilies, smilies, in a post
Which one do I hate the most? – Neuro-trash grrrl

7

I’ve always been partial to “Guys, you’re messing up my concentration while I’m trying to write a post for a non-work-related message board.”

:::running from this thread as fast as my size 10 oxfords will take me:::

Livin’ on Tums, vitamin E and Rogaine

8

Very cocky for the junior moderator.
And I wear nine-and-a-halves red stilettos (when not on duty and I can sneak ‘em from GBS’ closet!).

Smilies, smilies, in a post
Which one do I hate the most?
Smirks and frowns and evil grins
Rolling eyes that really spin
They stick their tongues out if you please
Who the hell first thought of these?
Smilies, smilies, in a post
Which one do I hate the most? – Neuro-trash grrrl

9

Yes, it happens to me all the time. Luckily, I have an office with a door, which I use frequently. There’s a small reception area just outside my office. One day, 4 people actually held a meeting there - sat around in a circle. Even though I had my door pushed to, it was annoying. I got up and walked right through the little gathering, went to the bathroom, then came back and walked thru them again. Waited about 15 minutes, then I did it again. God, I was pissed. Later, I asked one of the participants (not a manager) why the hell they were holding a meeting in the reception area. She said because the receptionist wasn’t there that day, and one of the managers wanted to have it there so she could hear her phone. Jeez. Hallways, doorways - it goes on all the time. I have a theory that these self-absorbed a–holes think they look important when they do this.

10

At my place of employ we are “lucky” enough to have viewing access to the conference room scheduling software. (Yes, we have someone whose actual job it is to maintain the conference room schedule and make sure nothing gets double booked.) What I’d do if it’s an option is say “Gee guys, if you’re having a meeting anyway, you know Conference Room 2 is empty now; that would probably be more comfortable for you.” Insert the name or location of the nearest conference room to where the group is huddled.

11

I would recommend buying a replica gun and leaving it on the edge of you desk/partition/cubicle and when they congregate either

  1. Start staring at them while stroking the gun

or

  1. Wave the gun around your head while screaming at them… leading them to think your “going postal”

n.b.

this can also work with a kid’s ray gun, adding that extra essential insanity to the proceedings.

John Larrigan

“Is there a chance that Our power plant was responsible for harming those Ducks, Smithers?”

“there’s no doubt about it, Sir”

“Excellent”

12

I usually just stand up and sneeze on 'em. Works every time and you get sympathy for being ill.

“Many count their chickens before they are hatched; and where they expect bacon, meet with broken bones.”
–Miguel de Cervantes–

13

We have a lovely meeting room like that here too but the city won’t use it because its not accessible.

14

Hello, Chiefy? Don’t ask, don’t tell!!

15

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Cute little anecdotal kinda story===> Cant, I was actually working up the nerve to say what you mentioned about 1/2 hour ago. Yep, the yahoos were at it again. However, it just so happened that I swallowed some of my ice water the wrong way, started coughing and couldn’t stop. And I mean hacking! Loud, horrible, losing a lung coughing. After they finished looking at me in horror, they left. Post haste. I just now have managed to control myself and stop giggling. UncleBeer - you should have seen the looks on their faces!!! ROFLMAO!!!

Thanks all!

16

Tell your supervisor exactly that, they are disturbing you and you can’t get your work done. I’m sure they will understand. Your purpose of being there is to get things done. How are you supposed to do that if they are always in your way.

In my oppinion, they are pretty retarded, but that’s just my oppinion. :slight_smile:

The best things in life are Italian…that’s the thing, though…I’m not Italian.

17

We recently hired a new executive director for our firm. I’m not sure why, but he choose to take an office right here in the finance department. MY OFFICE, no less!!! He also choose to take the only other empty office on our side of the floor and convert it into a mini-conference room for him and his gang, even though we have TWO large conference rooms with all the modern amenities not twenty feet away. But do they use any of these rooms for meetings and discussions? Of course not, you silly person. They all hang out in front of his office, which is about six inches from my cubicle, and talk, and talk, and discuss, and laugh, and yell, and talk, and talk, and AAAHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHH I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE I’M GONNA’ KILL ALL OF YOU WITH THIS HERE LETTER OPENER YOU INCONSIDERATE BASTARDS AAAHHHHHHHGGGGGGGHHHH!!!

Ah, I feel much better now, thank you.

The other thing I hate is when people use the speaker phone, turned up to ear splitting levels, to listen to their messages. Why do you do this? Are you that important that you can’t lift the receiver up to your ear? Maybe we can hire someone to hold your phone up for you and push all the little buttons and transcribe all your messages for you so you don’t have to do any actual work. I swear, the higher up you go on the corporate ladder, the more manners and common sense you loose. By the time you make it to president, you’ve become a blithering idiot who can barely hold a conversation.

But I’m not bitter or anything. No, not me. Not at all. Gee, whatever gave you that idea?

Beer. It’s not just for the office anymore.