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I work in a small office of about ten people. One of the people that sits across from me will sometimes be reading articles about something fairly controversial and then just begin telling everyone what it is he's reading. Today he was reading something about the anti-vaccine crowd. How do you deal with coworkers who like to talk about things which may be fairly controversial and alienate some colleagues?
I work in a small office of about ten people. One of the people that sits across from me will sometimes be reading articles about something fairly controversial and then just begin telling everyone what it is he's reading. Today he was reading something about the anti-vaccine crowd. How do you deal with coworkers who like to talk about things which may be fairly controversial and alienate some colleagues?
I had a colleague talking to me about minorities. She was a non-minority and I was a minority. She was talking about racism to me and how minorities can be racist and I just smiled in her face and nodded, while saying over and over again "Wow. That's crazy. Wow. Uh huh. Yeah? Wow. Yeah. Uh huh. WOW. YEAH. UUUUH HUUUUUH??? OH? YEAH! WOW!" And eventually she talked herself right out of the room. You kind of just have to ignore it, especially if you're a subordinate. And I knew this person had sway in the company so I couldn't just brush her off and/or speak my mind.
I had a manager who would always bring up gun control, religion, politics, race issues etc. He was very liberal, I myself am very consdervative. He would talk as if we both agree or have similar viewpoints which couldn't be futher from the truth and I would just kind of sit back and laugh as relaly I could care less what he thinks
I ignore. Some people just like to debate. I don't personally understand it because I find it stressful, but I've known more than a handful of people who really enjoy a heated debate.
I work in a small office of about ten people. One of the people that sits across from me will sometimes be reading articles about something fairly controversial and then just begin telling everyone what it is he's reading. Today he was reading something about the anti-vaccine crowd. How do you deal with coworkers who like to talk about things which may be fairly controversial and alienate some colleagues?
Do you get paid a salary to do your job?
If so then you ignore what is going on around the office and you set your focus on your duties and leave the others to be tended to by those in authority.
In one work situation, whenever the ergonomic chair conspiracy theorist would get in arms, I would either smile and nod or I simply gave a straight face look followed by a short "hmm" depending on the subject. I basically was saying either "you are a nutcase, but I'm being nice today" or "you really are an idiot and I could run circles around you, but I choose not to spend the energy".
I worked with someone different who would want me to get involved. Always somehow asked, "what you do think about this, mangomadness ?!?" I'd respond, "I don't talk about controversial topics at work. I may make someone cry or their head might explode. It keeps everyone safe if I don't say anything." I would sometimes get a laugh out of it, but it always diffused the need for my opinion.
I work in a small office of about ten people. One of the people that sits across from me will sometimes be reading articles about something fairly controversial and then just begin telling everyone what it is he's reading. Today he was reading something about the anti-vaccine crowd. How do you deal with coworkers who like to talk about things which may be fairly controversial and alienate some colleagues?
I try to avoid debating, especially with co-workers, because I'm usually always right on whatever position I take. They don't like it but that's what happens when a lot of people simply don't due any real research on things.
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