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PROGRAM D-7455
What are some of your pet peeves? I’ve been talking about workplace etiquette. The purpose is to remind us all that little things matter, and since we are spending many hours each week with our coworkers and customers and managers, we need to do everything we can, as we read in Romans, to live at peace with everyone.
In her book, Socially Smart in 60 Seconds, Deborah Pegues lists the most cited pet peeves of people. It’s helpful to think about these, and make sure we are not guilty of doing these things. Here are some of the pet peeves from her list:
- Cell phone users who engage in loud, personal conversations in public places.
- Retail clerks or grocery checkers who are mean, indifferent, or refuse to say “hello.”
- People who slurp, smack, or suck their teeth when eating.
- People eating during telephone conversations.
- People who pop gum or chew it loudly.
- People who interrupt someone when having a conversation,
- People who stand too close and violate your personal space.
- Coworkers or employees who goof-off and engage in extended personal conversations.
- People who bark orders, make demands, and treat everybody as their servants.
- A person who brags about everything and anything.
- Managers who reprimand employees publicly.
- Being put on a speaker phone without permission.
Well, can you relate to some of these? No doubt you could add a few pet peeves of your own. But remember what Jesus said:
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt. 7:4-5).
We really need to focus on our own behavior, our own little irritable ways, and pray that God will help us to improve in these areas. Nothing is too small to pray about. When you recognize some areas of etiquette that you need to improve, just start praying that God will remind you and motivate you to want to change in that area. And remember this, if you don’t take care of these “little things” while they are still little, they will get much larger and become major irritants to others.
I hope you take seriously the challenge to be the best you can be on your job when it comes to etiquette—for your own good, but more importantly, for your testimony as a disciple of Jesus Christ.