Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Screensaver. It'll do a better job than locking the workstation but if the person wants to be a douche, they can just reboot the PC.
Perhaps you might also leave a sticky note on the monitor asking people not to use the ws without your explicit permission?
Perhaps, you can unplug and hide the keyboard when you are walking away?
Like I said, just talking to the dude is the best way to figure out what the issue and resolution is.
Getting some balls means talking to the dude.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ovcatto
Nonsense! Not going up the chain leaves YOU exposed to all sorts of bs, such as accusations that YOU were rude and confrontational.
Nonsense. He said he thinks the guy thought he was joking. That indicates the OP has problems communicating effectively to resolve conflicts. Going up the chain of command is avoidant behavior when all the OP has to do is talk to the guy in a manner that can't be interpreted as joking.
Nothing is more annoying for management than having to solve problems for passive aggressive people who don't have the courage to engage in conflict resolution for themselves. The world would be a much better place if people weren't passive aggressive. If you think you need to cover your ass, send the guy an email and copy the chain of command. A passive aggressive person wouldn't do that because it's too direct and they'd rather go up the chain of command behind people's backs.
I assure you that nobody has ever thought I was joking when I was talking to them about something I meant, and I have never been accused of being rude and inappropriately confrontational IRL There is absolutely nothing wrong with confronting someone when the situation warrants. Only passive aggressive people would feel that way.
You make it sound like the guy needs reprimanding...he probably doesn't.
No. My comments focus on the OP, not the guy who is using his computer. The OP needs some courage to have a conversation that clearly expresses his concerns instead of being misinterpreted as joking. My use of the word confrontation is probably confusing. Passive aggressive types can view almost everything as confrontational. They are so uncomfortable having a conversation that MIGHT upset someone even mildly that they avoid it entirely, make jokes, or go behind people's backs and complain to someone who might have the authority to have the discussion on their behalf.
This is kind of how it goes and how OP probably got into this issue, even in our discussion here we have not been clear and as a result one party doesn't understand the other party's message or intent.
You use phrases like "authoritative" and "confrontational" and "getting some balls" - all that sounds like the OP needs to man up and knock a sucka out for knocking his ice cream cone out of his hand, not a polite conversation with a serious tone.
Ultimately multiple people agree in this thread, OP, talk to the guy first.
I used to take the hard drives out of my PC when I went on vacation, but that may be a bit extreme. You could take the network cable with you when you leave.
This is kind of how it goes and how OP probably got into this issue, even in our discussion here we have not been clear and as a result one party doesn't understand the other party's message or intent.
I don't think it's that simple for the OP. I can spot a passive aggressive personality from a mile away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by adyn
You use phrases like "authoritative" and "confrontational" and "getting some balls" - all that sounds like the OP needs to man up and knock a sucka out for knocking his ice cream cone out of his hand, not a polite conversation with a serious tone.
For passive aggressive people, a polite conversation with a serious tone requires lots of courage. It's a really big deal to them. They'll put up with the most incredible crap instead of just having a simple conversation. It doesn't matter how you phrase it, how encouraging you are, they can't easily do it. They create a lot of their problems as a result.
The OP doesn't want to have a conversation with his coworker because it will make him uncomfortable. Instead, he'd rather find a way to lock his computer or go up the chain of command. Meanwhile, both will create a situation where the other guy will confront the OP with less than polite conversation. If you lock someone out of your computer, it's unrealistic to not expect that person to come to you asking you about it. If you go up the chain of command, the coworker will be angered, or perplexed at the least, because the OP could have had simple conversation but made a big deal about it by going up the chain.
Fortunately, management knows all about passive aggressive personalities. I didn't even know these people existed until I was in management. Trust me, "authoritative" "confrontational" and "get some balls" equates to a polite conversation for passive aggressive people. The OP isn't going to knock anyone out simply because I used those terms.
I'd just go up the chain. He doesn't take no for an answer, and anything he may be looking up is on you. Just go to HR.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
