SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS
the biggest brain on earth? Usually not a lot
of colleagues lining up to be their partner
at the holiday party beer-pong table.
Once upon a time, you could close your
door to minimize time with weirdo co-
workers, but in this modern era of open of-
fices and coworking spaces, they’re harder
and harder to hide from. “Open spaces can
create problems in terms of employees try-
ing to concentrate and remain focused,”
says Joel B. Carnevale, assistant profes-
sor of management at Syracuse Universi-
ty’s Martin J. Whitman School of Manage-
ment. “And there’s also research showing
that these open spaces don’t actually cre-
ate any more collaboration than you would
find in the traditional office setting.”
Distraction and so-so collaboration: not
exactly the tentpoles of a successful op-
eration, right? But regardless of whether
they’re good or not, shared spaces certainly
are popular. Coworking Resources notes
that 2,188 spaces were opened worldwide
in 2018 alone. Love ’em or hate ’em, these
work environments are here to stay untilsomeone figures out how to turn pillows
into hands-free connected devices so we
can work without ever getting out of bed.
(Free idea alert!)
Learning to navigate workplace prob-
lems (i.e., other people) can mean the dif-
ference between a “living for the weekend”
existence and doing something you actu-
ally find financially and personally reward-
ing. Here are some workplace issues you
may, unfortunately, relate to, and expert
advice on how to deal with them in a way
that preserves your sanity, stops sapping
your energy and makes you wish you could
go into the office seven days a week. (OK,
maybe that last one is a stretch.)The fish microwaver
it’s noon and suddenly your entire
office smells like the restroom at Long John
Silver’s at low tide. Did a whale beach it-
self in the lobby? No, James from account-
ing decided to reheat last night’s Chilean
sea bass special. And he has a partner in
office-kitchen crime: the person whoNavigating
workplace
problems
(i.e., other
people) can
mean the
difference
between
living
for the
weekend
and having
a fulfilling
job.