How Youll Accidentally Offend Your Co-Workers - The Muse

How Youll Accidentally Offend Your Co-Workers - The MuseHow Youll Accidentally Offend Your Co-Workers I bet youve worked with a few jerks over the course of your career. And whenever you figure out that someones notlage very friendly, you swear to yourself that youll never, ever be like that person. After all, you want people to like you at the office, so why would you go out of your way to annoy them?But there are some subtle ways that even the nicest people accidentally offend their co-workers. Here are a few of the most common ones, with solutions for bouncing back after youve realized youve made the mistake. 1. You Unknowingly Poke Fun at Their UpbringingEveryone has strong opinions about dumb things, from the best nostalgic TV shows, to your elementary lunchbox snacks, to the worst hometowns. Ive honestly lost count of the number of times Ive said, My commute stinks, but at least I dont live in that neighborhood. Or even worse, Yeah, that seems like a good deal for a plane ticke t, but why would you ever want to go there? And in each case, Ive learned that someone across from me either grew up in one of those places or travels there for a beloved family vacation each year. How to RecoverThere isnt necessarily a silver-bullet solution to bouncing back from saying, Hey, the way you grew up is the worst Your co-workers tend to take pride in that kind of thing. But Ive found that a little self-deprecating humor can go a long way. After all, Im from what many people call the armpit of America. Colleagues will find it difficult not to laugh with you if take a jab at yourself in the same breath.2. Youll Offer Help Thats Unwanted- and Flat Out WrongYou should be commended for offering help whenever you see fit. That means youre a good teammate, right? In most cases, yes. But there are also times when you interject on something that youre not quite up to speed on. And even though your intentions are good, its easy to annoy your co-workers by offering a bit of advice they didnt ask for- and then being completely wrong because you didnt know exactly what was going on in the first place. How to RecoverHeres where a simple apology can go a long way. I can still remember a time when I was corrected about a stat I used in a piece that someone thought was interpreted incorrectly. And even though I tried to rebuff the advice politely, I got radio silence afterwards- which was totally irritating. If youre wrong, youre wrong. The words Im sorry are a simple and effective way for both of you to move forward without any hard feelings. (Just in case you need them Here are templates that make saying Im Sorry so much easier.)3. Youll Give Positive Feedback That Actually Sounds SarcasticTheres nothing wrong with adding a little personality to your interactions at work. In fact, Id encourage it. But sometimes your choice of words can mean the difference between making someone feel good about the work theyve done- and making them think youre messing with them. You might know that by saying, Hey chief, big time performance today, youre trying to be sincere. But for some of your colleagues, it might not be so obvious.How to RecoverIf your co-worker gives you a funny look or scoffs at your comment, take it as a sign to add a little more transparency to your feedback. Dont be afraid to say that you really meant what you said.It might seem like overkill to you, but when your teammates think youre just joking around, take the initiative and let them know that you were serious about your feedback.The bad nachrichtensendung is that at some point or another, youll unknowingly ruffle a co-workers feathers. But the good news is that youre probably reading this because youre not a monster- and Im sure youll use the tips here (or come up with your own) to help smooth things over. Even better? Most people have done the same thing, so youre not alone. And as long as you dont dig your heels in and insist that you just couldnt have said that offensive thi ng, youll be able to laugh about it together more quickly than you realize.