Just Stand There

[blas87]

In general, it could be applied to people who never want to outright ask for help or to get your attention, so they'll just stand behind you or to the side of you until you notice them.

They can pose safety hazards in work areas, and they are a general nuisance in all other aspects.

It bugs the living hell out of me. Not only when coworkers do it, but when my manager does it. If I could say what I wanted in front of some of these people, I'd turn and scowl and snert "YES?" or "Can I help you?!"

My manager does make his presence known, but he also sneaks around. There have been times I've been working on something and seen a shadow in front of my work, so I look up and he's just standing there watching me, and when we finally make eye contact, he asks me what I'm doing! (now, that could be a seperate rant, as this guy has a lot of annoying tendencies, he knows what you're doing but he wants to hear you say it!)

I've been told by coworkers that he's stood behind me for minutes on end, and doesn't say or ask anything until I turn around and acknowledge him. He does it to others as well. He didn't even learn after the time he got behind one of my very large coworkers who didn't know he was behind him and prompty stepped back and squashed him against the table. He STILL does it!

There's also a brood of higher up people who will make round after round after round walking back and forth down the hall and to the windows and doors to see if my boss or shift lead is nearby. They won't just simply walk through the damn door and ask.

Some people could nitpick and say "Well, maybe they don't want to bother you while you're working." Sure. Fine. But why would you want to waste your time for several minutes walking back and forth and repeatedly poking your head into the door and by the windows, making yourself look like a freakshow, refusing to talk to or ask anyone until you see the person you want to talk to. In just one round, you could ask one of us serfs if we've seen that person or if they are still around for the day. Nope, it's easier to just keep walking around.

Oh well, at least we get a laugh out of it at their expense. Another honcho did that this morning, and my coworkers and I loudly exclaimed the number of times he'd walked past the windows or poked his head into the room and then took off, and one coworker watched how long it took for him to come back for another peep before he finally found who he was looking for.

[Andara Bledin]

My brother used to do something similar when he was little. He would refuse to call his friends because if they didn't answer it must have been because they knew it was him (before caller ID existed) and didn't want to talk to him.

Some people don't speak up or ask questions because they're so insecure that being given an answer other than what they want bothers them too much, so they'd rather waste time until the point where the answer will be what they want to hear despite the fact that it's stupid and annoys everybody else.

^-.-^

[XCashier]

In general, it could be applied to people who never want to outright ask for help or to get your attention, so they'll just stand behind you or to the side of you until you notice them.

That drives me crazy! How the hell is someone supposed to notice you if you're standing behind them, in their blind spot, silent as death? Human beings are not telepathic, nor do we have eyes in the backs of our heads, didn't your alien leaders inform you of this before leaving you here?!

Granted, when I'm doing a task, I can get so focused on it that I don't notice things around me. Some people do. Still, what's wrong with saying, "Excuse me," if you want someone's attention? You'd want them to do the same for you.

[linguist]

Still, what's wrong with saying, "Excuse me," if you want someone's attention? You'd want them to do the same for you.

Not necessarily. When I'm not doing anything of any import, that's fine, but if I'm in the middle of something that requires my focused concentration, I'd rather not be interrupted and have it broken unless there's an emergency or something that requires my immediate attention. I pay others that same courtesy. If they're busy, I'll come back. If what I need to say needs to be said sooner rather than later, but still doesn't necessarily qualify as an emergency, I'll stand back until the person either finishes what they're doing or comes to a stopping point where they can give me their attention. I was raised to believe that it's rude to interrupt someone while in the middle of something.

[blas87]

So, how long are you willing to just stand there? Not everyone has spidey senses.

I have really good peripheral vision, and I can catch shadows and can generally feel when I'm being watched (it's came from years at work of actually being hovered over and watched too closely) but not everyone has that same ability. A lot of people are able to fully engross themselves in their work or whatever task they are focusing on, so in essence, you'd be just standing there for minutes on end, or until they are finished. That still makes you look rather weird.

That and when I catch people doing it, it depends on the day, sometimes I snip slightly at manager by saying "Hello" to him, other days I just let him keep standing there until he gets pissed off and says something to me, or the few times he's gotten so angry that I didn't notice him that he just grabs whatever paperwork goes to what I'm doing, rummages through it, and walks away.

People get interrupted all the time. At any given moment, I have to stop working to help someone lift something or put something heavy away, so I don't even care if someone says "Hey blas!".

[HYHYBT]

Some people could nitpick and say "Well, maybe they don't want to bother you while you're working."

Hardly fair to label that dismissively as a "nitpick."

[Greenday]

Not necessarily. When I'm not doing anything of any import, that's fine, but if I'm in the middle of something that requires my focused concentration, I'd rather not be interrupted and have it broken unless there's an emergency or something that requires my immediate attention. I pay others that same courtesy. If they're busy, I'll come back. If what I need to say needs to be said sooner rather than later, but still doesn't necessarily qualify as an emergency, I'll stand back until the person either finishes what they're doing or comes to a stopping point where they can give me their attention. I was raised to believe that it's rude to interrupt someone while in the middle of something.

If they are doing something that might take long, there's nothing wrong with just letting the person know you need them for something and to get back to you when they are done with the current task at hand.

[blas87]

Exactly, Greenday.

If someone stood by my side while I counted out an entire order, unbeknowngst to me that they were there, and if I made a mistake or had to go back through the paperwork and fix numbers and other mistakes, it could be upwards of an hour (that's mild, one night it took an hour and a half with the worst messes) before I'll even be able to devote my full attention. Letting me know that you'll need me, that way I can finish my current thought and then take a short break to help someone out, that'd be perfectly fine!

Or I suppose we could all just stand in the Wal-Mart aisles and wait until the associate has scanned in the new prices for every item in a particular section until we ask for help, since we don't want to bother them or interrupt their task at hand or train of thought.

[HYHYBT]

There's nothing wrong, though, with waiting a few seconds to see when a good moment might be.

[Greenday]

There's nothing wrong, though, with waiting a few seconds to see when a good moment might be.

Until a few seconds turns into a bunch of minutes.

[lordlundar]

<raises hand> guilty.

Well, in my defense, I don't hang over someone while they're doing something, I take a couple steps away and wait patiently. Then when they turn around they jump when they see me there. Not intentional, but I grew up being very quiet when I walk, so no one hears me coming and jump put of their skin when they see me.

[blas87]

A couple of my coworkers have seen how engrossed I get while scoping or counting, and will sneak up and say my name really terse and loud. Thank God I wear underwear.

I hate when they do that, I've nearly banged my nose against a scope and I've nearly fallen over if I was standing.

[Ginger Tea]

I commented that I should wear morris bells when visiting the office as sometimes I end up being accidentally stealthy and when I say the name of the person I'm getting the attention of they sometiems hell most times jump, yet everyone else says they can tell its me by the sound of my footsteps.
I do use this stealth to my advantage if I'm feeling playful.

I hate the 'they know you are there but they are too busy yapping' treatment, I don't want to hear you talk about your grand kids to the woman opposite you for 5 mintues when all I want is 30 seconds of your time, but hey, I'm paid by the hour, perhaps I should bring a bucket of popcorn and listen intently for effect.

[Andara Bledin]

I've learned the very important art of scuffling my feet when I enter the office of someone I need to talk to while they're involved in something else. That and light knocks on a handy surface work wonders.

On the other side, if it's obvious to everybody involved that you know that the other person is there, don't be a passive-aggressive douche and force them to actually say something to "get your attention." They already have it.

^-.-^

[blas87]

I've found myself more stealth during the warmer times of year when I wear lighter shoes.

My winter shoes....clunky, heavy things they are. Everyone knows I'm coming.

Since this winter never seems to want to end, no one will have to worry about being stealthed by me for quite some time.