Ask Miss Smartypants - June 21, 2010 |
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| Written by Miss Smartypants |
| Monday, 21 June 2010 08:56 |
Art: Nina Charest
Dear Miss Smartypants, Okay, this is sort of a weird one. I have to print a lot of stuff at my job. If I am printing a lot of stuff in one go, I'll wait 'til it's all done printing before I go to the printer to pick it up. Sometimes people try to be "helpful" by picking up my stuff when they are already at the printer and bringing it to my desk. This is not helpful. I will definitely still have to go to the printer to pick up the rest, and I will probably have to return other documents that were mixed in with mine (not a problem when I pick up my own stuff as I make sure to check). I always say thank you and try to add something like, "You don't have to do that for me!" (in a sweet tone of voice, obvs) to try to dissuade people, but it's not working. How can I get my co-workers to stop being so darn helpful? Doing the Job Twice Dear Twice, Let me tell you something about getting people to stop doing something they think is nice: it's even harder than getting people to stop doing something mean. Essentially, you are annoyed because the people in question definitely haven't saved you any work and potentially caused you more. But if you are going to the printer anyway and you would have had to sort out the other documents anyway, then why are you complaining about having to do this? I can see why it grates, but being an ingrate isn't going to make it any better. Just say thanks and go about your business. Try to think of it as fewer reams of paper for you to carry. Think Before You Print, Miss Smartypants Need advice, work-related or otherwise? Send your question to Miss Smartypants: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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