Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions about workplace, career and leadership in her advice column Got a Minute? This week: emoji interruptions, the issue with being an introvert and a former travel agent stuck in a conversational time warp.
My work has introduced Teams chat groups and it’s driving me insane. I already have to trawl through my emails to find information and spreadsheets from my staff, but now the chat is pings all day. We are supposed to advise everyone if we are going home early, announce if someone is off sick, wade through lengthy boring chats regarding if anyone has seen the boss today and, “Does anyone know where the new photocopier toner is?” And now staff are adding smiley faces and love heart emojis. Is this the norm now? If I ignore it all, I am worried I will miss important information.
When you have chat groups that contain everything from a critical project update to news that the toner has run out, you just know productivity is going to dive. The digital noise in your workplace is deafening.
There are two practical things you can try. First, mute any chats that don’t require immediate attention. You can still check them as you need to, but do that on your schedule, not when someone has decided to put a love heart emoji on the coffee order. This isn’t going to fix the culture, but it will stop the endless pinging.
Second, you could take the opportunity to suggest a productivity improvement idea. Let’s face it, if this is driving you crazy, chances are, it is driving everyone crazy. What appears to be missing is a set of guidelines for how Teams will be used. It can be as simple as, for example, DMs to be used for urgent matters, chat groups for projects, email for formal documents. You are not alone in thinking this way: Microsoft knows this is a problem and has created best practices for using Teams in large groups, which may also help.
I work in an industry where everyone is an extrovert – everyone but me, that is. My role requires me to attend many social functions and I find them excruciating. Everyone forms into tight circles and engages in such rapid-fire banter, I have no hope of joining in. I’m tempted to leave the company but I enjoy all other aspects of my work. Besides, in a job interview, what would I give as the reason for leaving my current employment? No prospective new employer wants a shrinking violet in their senior ranks.
You are not a shrinking violet and there is nothing – absolutely nothing – to be concerned about in a future job interview. You simply have a different way of connecting with other people.
You know yourself well enough to understand that networking events that are loud, boisterous and need rapid-fire banter are not your thing. That is great to know. My guess is there are other social functions where you shine, like small client dinners where you can engage meaningfully with someone next to you, or client meetings where reflection and expertise is called upon rather than social charisma.
It would be a real shame to leave a job you otherwise love because of this. I know it may feel like you are the only person feeling this way, but I promise you, there will be many others. Speak to your boss, if you can, and explain where you feel you are best used to add the most to the company. Don’t feel embarrassed by your knowledge of where your strengths lie, but ask for their help to make sure you are utilised to your full potential.
I have had a midlife career change after 25 years as a travel agent. Unfortunately, my new colleagues regard me as their in-house “go-to” for all things travel, from airlines to destinations to accommodation. I long for normal chit-chat during the lunch breaks – movies, the footy, even the weather! How can I put an end to the relentless questions without being rude?
These are new work colleagues, and it sounds like your travel background has been a great way to build rapport in your new environment. I get that it must be tiring and dull to be asked about travel all the time, but for them, this is a way of connecting with you and that is something to cherish.
I think you can ask your new colleagues loads of questions about their life, their interests, their football club, the movies they have seen, and the conversation will flow over time. If you want to create a good first impression with your new workmates, I would just go with it.
To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.
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Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM is the author of Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss and Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership. Kirstin is ranked in the world’s Thinkers50 list and holds a PhD in leadership and culture. www.kirstinferguson.com.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
