It’s just about lunch time, the bustle in the hallway is reaching muted jet engine status as the minions funnel out into the fray to jostle for space in the microwave line up and tell off-color jokes. Except for me, I’m sitting at my desk pretending to be engrossed in the blank sheet in front of me, waiting for the Alpha Girl Group to be fully engrossed in Boyfriend O’ The Month Talk before I venture out. Then they won’t notice me. Their eyes won’t flick down and up as they assess my cool quotient.
Junior high flashback anyone?
Or how about just another day at the office.
I am fortunate to work in an office environment that is warm, friendly and free from just about any ‘ism’ you could come up with. But I didn’t always work here.
About halfway between high school pimples and motherhood’s expanding hourglass figure, I worked in an office that could have been the carbon copy of my high school environment. Except there were a few more smokers and no other drama geeks to hang out with. After my first few weeks I realized no one was going to let me stay in their office until the cool kids had gone home. I had to adapt.
So I considered my hard-earned high school lessons and was not surprised to draw some surprising parallels.
1. Class Division. Opposites don’t just repel, they stare at each other from a distance and try figure out their opponents weakness. Now Susan in the cubicle three rows down may very well be gunning for your position, and she may very well be making snide comments about your goody-two-shoes way of never being late for a meeting… but this is not your problem. You are responsible only for your own actions. Keep them honorable and above board and you’ll come out ahead.
4. Garden Variety Bully. This is still one of the toughest ones to deal with. It doesn’t matter what age we are. What we know now as adults that we didn’t as children is that bullies were very often bullied themselves. While that may offer insight, do not allow yourself to be tread upon. Create boundaries and expect respect. Build friendships with other, friendlier co-workers. And if the bully’s tactics cross the line, do not hesitate to go to your boss or the HR department. We didn’t have those in school. Remember: You have the right to a discrimination-free workplace.
