This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 58.
Can you hear my music? How to avoid being rude at the office.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Excellent. How are you doing, Michelle?
What's going on today? i'm good i'm good not too much lindsay you have had a lot of different jobs teaching you know being an entrepreneur have you ever had like a real like a desk job in an office i know that you you know you work at a desk but would you consider what you do to be a desk job oh no good question but no absolutely not i've never had a desk job i've never had a traditional nine-to-five job i've never been in the corporate world so that's either something i'm ashamed of or very proud of some depends on the day I don't think there's anything to be ashamed of.
No. What about you, Michelle? Have you had a desk job?
I have. Um, yeah, I've had, I've had desk jobs before and you know, there's like, there's, there's good things.
I'm not so good things. Like I feel like a good thing is in the desk jobs that I've had.
Like I, I've always like left my work at the office.
Um, yeah, that is good. It feels like, Oh, there's an end, you know?
So that's kind of a thing. Um, although I, I, have that now you know like i don't know i mean again i'm sitting at a desk you're sitting at a desk yeah but there's a trade-off right when we work from home that you know we don't have a commute but if we're not careful our working car can start to seep into our lives into our other parts of our lives like our family lives and that kind of thing right True, true, true.
Yeah, that's true. I mean, wait, let's just go over this vocabulary.
What is a desk job? Oh, good question. I think of it as like, obviously, we're working from home, but I wouldn't call these desk jobs.
I would say it's more I think of cubicles.
I think of physical office buildings. That's a desk job, Michelle.
Right, right, right. Exactly. Yeah. And like you said, kind of that nine to five.
So maybe an accountant or really advertising.
I mean, when you were in a desk job, what was that in your radio job?
Yeah. But I also worked for like this, um, like, uh, like travel company that basically helped people, you know, get on certain trips.
And so that was very cool. I did a lot like, yeah, I did stuff for like passports.
Like I think, Oh my gosh, I keep learning new things about you all the time.
I like, you know, just checking numbers, like just checking things.
Like, I don't know. I think of that as more of a desk job than the radio one was.
Oh, I see. Yeah. Kind of, um, Sort of a bit of a pushing papers kind of feeling, you mean?
Checking numbers, pushing papers. Okay. Maybe we'll teach that phrase, pushing papers.
It has a slightly different meaning. It doesn't quite tie in with what we're talking about today.
We can teach that. We can have a whole other episode on government jobs or that sort of thing.
But all right, Michelle, so where are we going today?
Is this coming from an article you found?
Yeah. So today we're going to talk about something from an article and, you know, there's certain etiquette to abide by in an office.
So this article is from HuffPost called The Nine Rudest Things You Can Do to the Coworker Sitting Next to You.
Don't be this colleague. Don't be this colleague.
Yeah. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No, I was going to say today's episode is kind of all about how to not be that person.
Right, Michelle? OK. Yes. And this article is from HuffPost.com by Monica Torres.
And it was written November. It was posted November 16th, 2022.
So I thought it would be fun. We're not going to go through all nine, but I thought it would be fun to talk about a couple of these surrounding one particular general topic.
Um, so we might split this into two episodes, but, um, I think there could be, you know, this could be helpful.
We'll, we'll kind of dive into these. Yeah, that's so good.
And we're going to use this article as inspiration and then we're going to take it in our own direction guys.
So I love it. So what is the one thing then that we're going to focus on the one habit, the one thing?
Well, it's, well, it's, it's all dealing with communication.
So this first one is, we're talking about a few of them, but it has, you'll see it kind of has a theme.
So the first one is play music without headphones.
Without headphones. Oh, not good. Any headphones?
Lindsay, what do you think about this? Oh, I think I do this sometimes to my coworker next door here in my home office.
Not music. I play the news. It's very bad.
But yeah, no, this is obviously rude. You know, you know, unless your team's fully on board and also listening to it together, then you really don't want to do this.
Right. Right. Right. Right. Exactly. Like maybe it's a different thing if everybody kind of, you know, likes the same music.
You've all kind of agreed. Oh, today we're listening to this.
Right. Right. Or it's happy hour or it's like the last half hour.
And you're you know, I know some kind of forward thinking offices will provide beer on Fridays and maybe you're cracking open a beer with your colleagues.
Right. At 430 on a Friday. You know, Silicon Valley places do that, I guess.
You know, maybe you turn on some music then and you dance a little bit or something.
Right. If you're really crazy. Right. but uh generally no right right so that's that's true i mean you know i think that you have to wear headphones and you have to make sure they can't be heard um and we we've we've talked about this before how i can't listen to anything when i'm working but it sounds like you can't i'm the same way michelle no i can't no i listen i i like watch the news at lunchtime Oh, OK.
Yeah. No, I cannot. I don't understand. Like Dan would like he always talks about like, you know, when he was studying in school and he would just listen to like dance music.
No, I don't get that. I've never been able to understand that.
Yeah. Like pretty silent, like pretty silent.
For sure. Even if the TV's on downstairs while I'm working, I don't like that either.
Right. Yeah. So what's something you could say, though, if somebody has their music up loud?
OK, so write this down, guys. Hey, would you mind turning your music down just a tad?
I can hear it. Oh, just a tad. That's a bonus word for today.
I love that one, Michelle. Just a tad. Yes.
So, yeah, just be honest and ask them. So we're going to get into the next one in a second so that this one goes hand in hand with the first one.
And this is actually a pet peeve of mine.
All right. We're going to get to it in just a minute.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. Okay, Michelle, I'm excited to hear what that is, that pet peeve of yours.
So this one is, so it says tune, this is from the article, tune out people trying to have a conversation with you.
What does this mean? I don't get it. Well, so they mentioned that this is really also about not being able to hear people because of your headphones.
So it all kinds of comes back, kind of comes back to headphones.
So, right, I mean, this is not just for business, but for life.
Like, Lindsay, do you ever feel like someone isn't paying attention when you're talking? i hate that feeling i hate that were we talking about this the last time we recorded we were yes we were talking we were talking it's funny that you say that because i was going to say guys there's an all ears english episode where we talk about this as well so today we're talking about it on business english a little bit um but yeah like when people aren't paying attention And, you know, in that episode, I think we were talking about if you're the person.
Yes. Show them that like they have your full attention.
Right. OK. So this is kind of the opposite.
So let's say you're trying to talk to somebody and they're not listening.
What's something you could say? Let's see, Michelle.
I'm a little bit lost. What could you say, Michelle?
Oh, hey. Sorry. Yeah. OK. You could say, hey, sorry.
I just really need to talk with you for a sec. oh perfect yes i love that so that's okay this is good it feels very rude it feels like something a teenager would do right if you tune people out if they're trying to have a conversation you know a teenager would put on their hoodie and put their headphones in and kind of cross their arms and sit back right don't be that person at work don't be that person no don't be that person what's something else you could say okay hey is this a bad time i think it's important to talk about this okay this might be a little bit rude it might be stronger well it is definitely more direct michelle yeah yeah saying is this a bad time that's like saying you know it could be a little passive aggressive in a way i don't know i'm saying i'm saying that it's direct but it could also be passive aggressive it's passive aggressive because you're not saying you're not listening to me That's why it's passive aggressive.
Like passive aggressive is when we don't say exactly what's happening.
We try to say it in a more indirect way, but we're actually acting aggressively, right?
I think we use that term a lot on this show.
So I want to make well on All Ears English, the All Ears English podcast and on Business English.
Guys, by the way, If you do not know that we have a whole other amazing podcast, which gets 8 million downloads a month, then go and follow the All Ears English podcast.
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Right, Michelle? Please do. We have a great time over there.
We've been at it for a long time. That's right.
A long time to catch up on if you haven't been over there.
So good. All right. What's next? Okay. So, I mean, I think this is a, you know, wake up call for us to be proactive.
So don't do these things. So if you think you might be doing these things specifically with the headphones, like what's something you could say?
OK, so, hey, can you hear the music through my headphones?
Right. So it's almost like we're checking to make sure we're not going to be that person.
Right. Or you could say, sorry, I think my music was too loud.
Yeah, that's always embarrassing when we never intend to be that person, but we find out later that we were that person.
That's not good. No, that's not good. Or let's say it seems like you weren't focusing.
You could say, I'm so sorry. Give me one second and I'm ready to focus.
Oh, right. So just, yeah, being honest, right?
Just again, I think a theme lately on the show is voice what's actually happening.
You know, on All There's English, we just talked about recently a few weeks ago about how to say if you think you're sick, whether you should come to the social event, you know, say what is going on.
It just feels so much better. It's true at work in business English or in life, Michelle.
That's right. That's right. Or you could even, let's say it's specific to the music.
You could say, sorry, this music is up and I can't focus.
Let me take my headphones off so I can listen.
Yeah, very descriptive. And tell people what you need at the office, right?
We need the vocabulary to do this. Right.
Yeah. So I think the main point is to really listen to others and pay attention to what's going on around you.
Yeah. We can do another episode. I think this is English about how to introduce music to your office.
Oh, love that idea, Michelle. Love it. Let's write that down.
I love that. Yeah. Let's say you feel like, oh, maybe we need some energy or maybe we have some energy or maybe it's Friday at four and let's turn up some music.
Turn up some music. Were you that person when you worked in the office that would do that?
The kind of the office sort of, let's say, person who, I don't want to say cheerleader, but the person who kind of brings the office together, were you that person or was that someone else when you worked in the office?
I don't know if I was, I like to have a sense of humor and be peppy and happy.
And I, I loved, especially like when I worked on radio, I like, I loved my coworkers.
Like we had so we, I mean, we, we had a lot of fun.
Um, but like, I wouldn't say it was like, Hey guys, let's listen to some music.
Like I, I, yeah, I don't know. I don't know in that way.
I was the cheerleader. Yeah, sometimes I wish I had that environment, right?
That I went into an office. Obviously, there's so many benefits to working from home that I'm glad I don't.
But sometimes I just think, oh, it'd be cool to have, you know, friends at work that I see every day, you know?
Yeah, I still keep in touch with one of them.
Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah, no, and I think about it.
I'm like, oh, it'd be fun to like one day, you know, one day go back into my former life and have one day back there.
One day, one day. All right. Very good.
Good stuff. So should we go through a role play for our listeners?
Yes, let's do it. So I am sitting near you and I can't focus because of your music.
Oh, yeah. All right. Here we go. Okay. Hey, Lindsay, would you mind turning down your music just a tad?
I can hear it. What? Your music. Can you turn it down?
Oh, yeah. Sorry. Also, should we talk through the presentation?
Oh, sorry. This music is up and I can't focus.
Let me take off my headphones so I can listen.
Oh, I seem so ridiculous too, don't I? No, you're fine.
So let's go through that. So I said, would you mind turning down your music just a tad?
I can hear it. Exactly. And then you said your music, can you turn it down?
And then I asked you if we should talk through the presentation.
And then you said, sorry, this music is up and I can't focus.
Let me take off my headphones so I can listen. right as if the way I said that makes it seem like it's the music's fault right right right but it's my fault yeah um guys we have an episode for you to check out on the all ears English podcast which is 8 42 and this is about about music right what was it what was that one about don't don't take it down a notch don't take it down a notch okay so check out the listen over there to yeah just see what it's about by that Yeah, guys, go over there, hit follow on that show and hit follow right here on Business English.
Where should we leave our listeners today?
Guys, be aware of those around you in the office and how your headphones might be irritating if the volume is too loud.
Right. And also just really focus. This is all about focus.
Right. Focusing on the people in the office rather than the music, because sometimes when you're at a desk job, it can be easy to just turn up your headphones, get to your spreadsheet and just, you know, go at it.
Like we want to be mindful about those around us.
Yeah, self-awareness is huge, especially now that, well, I don't know how things are going to change after, you know, everything's kind of changed now, Michelle.
But, you know, with before the health crisis, you know, there was the open floor plan that was becoming so much more common and it was sort of trendy and everyone kind of wanted that. was the open floor plan where even the CEO didn't have their own office.
Everyone was out there sharing desks, open space, kind of a post-cubicle world, right?
But I wonder now, I guess people aren't even, in a lot of cases, people aren't going into the office as much and companies are giving up real estate. you know right right everything is different yeah but we'll see how it all shakes out once we move past 2023 2024 and what really happens for example to midtown manhattan i think about that a lot what's going to happen to midtown if people don't come back to those offices michelle Yeah, I don't know.
It's scary. I don't like to think about that.
Yeah, what's going to happen to all those vendors, right?
So yeah, we'll stay tuned and we'll see.
But we want New York to come back the way it was before.
It's so spurred on by the working professional.
So we want our New York back, right? Yep, absolutely.
Love New York. We do love it. All right.
Good stuff, Michelle. Thanks for hanging out today on Business English and I'll see you soon.
All right. Bye, Lindsay. Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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