Bad Habits

Are you a creature of habit?

Maybe you wake up at the same time each morning, eat the same meal for lunch, or are wed to particular processes or protocols.

This week we hear from a few listeners stuck in their ways and one who wants to change them.

My Way Or The Highway in Wyoming is trying to teach a new employee how to properly take inventory and it’s falling on deaf ears. They explain it, show him how it’s done, and even watch him do it. But as soon as they’re out of sight, he doesn’t follow the procedure. The job gets done but it’s not the most efficient way to do it. How can they get the new guy to adhere to their process?

OCDo Or OUDon’t in Cleveland works in a hybrid office that started hoteling. This means they are at the mercy of available space. Here’s the problem: the space isn’t always the same and they have a certain setup they need before starting work and occasionally their space is communal. Other employees end up in their space and touch their stuff. They need what they need--the way they need it. How can they make this understood without coming off as odd or compulsive?

Stuck In A Rut in Rosemont has worked at a warehouse facility outside of Chicago for eight years. They’re around the same people every day. For years, a group of them have had lunch together. While they generally enjoy the company, they’re getting tired of the routine. They like the people but not the routine.  How do they bow out of this social obligation without generating any bad feelings?

We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or career questions. Email us: [e-mail] or tweet us: @cubicleconfide1. All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent...

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