colleagues eavesdrops on conversations,private and personal

seefin · 30-07-2018 01:28PM #1

Woman recently started working in my team and listens into every conversation( regardless of personal or private) and butts in , usually to offer unwanted advice . We've all noticed it but I'm right next to her so bearing the brunt. If I confront her , I'll be seen as the bad guy. Have tried talking quietly but she still manages to overhear. . It undermines us in particular when she offers advice on work related issues. Is there any assertive way to make it known that she should ,at the least, pretend not to overhear ?

OMM 0000 · 30-07-2018 03:17PM

I think a very non-confrontational way is to never take her advice. She'll eventually stop offering it.

Also, you could move your conversations to Slack or something like that.

endacl · 30-07-2018 03:18PM

Why would you be the bad guy?

seefin · 30-07-2018 05:55PM

endacl wrote:

Why would you be the bad guy?

Because she'll claim she is only being helpful. Its an extremely annoying and quality of hers, but she isn't commiting a crime. I know from previous people she worked with that she's a control freak and tries to run everyone's life/knows better etc. It's just unfortunate that that's the one quality that really raises my hackles ! Maybe she reminds me of my mother .

seefin · 30-07-2018 05:56PM

OMM 0000 wrote:

Also, you could move your conversations to Slack or something like that.

What's Slack?

5rtytry56 · 30-07-2018 06:00PM

Slack - while you are not engaged in your job

TG1 · 30-07-2018 06:07PM

Are you all in an open plan sort of set up? To be fair to her, in that sort of situation it's hard not to over hear things. I over hear conversations I'm not necessarily part of all the time in my office. She may just be trying to fit in by joining in, personally I opt for studiously ignoring it to a fault but she may just be a more social sort.

LimeFruitGum · 30-07-2018 06:15PM

By ‘private’ and ‘personal’ calls, do you mean they’re both work-related 1-to-1 / conference calls, or calls from family and friends? I wasn’t 100% sure. If they’re family/friends, can you take the call away from the desk? Or get back to them during your break, move it to online text or email? Cut off the sound supply.

She’s probably hasn’t enough of her own work to do?

Diziet · 31-07-2018 10:40AM

Can't you just ask her quietly to please not interrupt your calls with comments, because it breaks your concentration?

Bredabe · 31-07-2018 11:02AM

Forward all phone calls to her all day/ everyday.

31-07-2018 11:06AM

why would your colleague be able to overhear your private conversations at work. sounds like theres two behavioural issues here, and "my co worker isnt deaf" is the lesser of them

and agreed with poster above, its easy to ignore someones advice and remain pleasant about it.

colleagues eavesdrops on conversations,private and personal

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