The passive-aggressive note writer
Your dirty mug has been here since TUESDAY LAST WEEK. Love, ‘anonymous’. (A note in the company kitchen from the Your-mother-doesn’t-work-here people).
No workplace is complete without one: The passive-aggressive note ninja.
You know them. You’ve met them.
- Writes a message in ALL CAPS.
- Underlines every third word.
- Uses quotation marks for absolutely no reason.
“Please be ‘respectful’ and CLEAN your own ‘dishes’.”
They don’t talk to people. They post at people.
Why? Because it feels safer. Cleaner. More controlled.
But what they actually do is kill morale, slowly and silently, like a bad smell in the fridge.
Quick tip
If you want someone to change their behavior, talk to them. Like a person.
Not like a label printer.
Go over to them, place a form hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes and say: “Let me show you how the dishwasher works.”
A colourful moment
At a company in Oslo, Norway, I found a sign above the coffee machine:
“Please do NOT make coffee unless you’re trained.”
I asked who wrote it.
The manager whispered, “Linda from HR.”
Linda later handed me a laminated note about “quiet zones.”
I said nothing. Just smiled… and made coffee.
See you next Wednesday.
//Thomas
The red profile
The dominant
Read more about RedThe yellow profile
The influential
Read more about YellowThe green profile
The stable one
Read more about GreenThe blue profile
The compliant
Read more about BlueThe Surrounded by Idiots Brief
Every Wednesday, the latest issue is sent to you. Each message includes an aha-moment and possibly an oh no-moment about human interaction, and one example of behaviour for you to reflect upon.
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