I have to share an office with a very messy colleague. We are
like Felix and Oscar in
”
The Odd Couple
”
.
Q:
I have to share an office with a very messy colleague. We are like Felix and Oscar in “The Odd Couple”. My area is neat and organized, but “Oscar’s” side of the room is completely covered with piles and piles of paper. As a result, he frequently misplaces information and fails to meet deadlines.
Many other coworkers have told Oscar that he should clean up his space, but he ignores their advice. This unsightly mess is so embarrassing that I have stopped bringing clients into the office. I recently purchased a small divider to separate our areas, but that doesn’t solve the problem. I can’t move out, so how do I cope?
A:
You seem to be living with an office hoarder. These compulsive folks have a hard time discarding anything, so the paper piles proliferate until they consume every bit of available space. But here’s my question: Where is your boss in this equation?
If many people are complaining, then Oscar’s untidiness has reached the level of a performance problem. Since performance issues should be addressed by the supervisor, your first step is to be sure your boss knows about the business problems created by Oscar’s messy habits.
Should your manager refuse to intervene, you and your colleagues might consider staging a group intervention. Explain to Oscar how his sloppiness is affecting others, then tell him that if the chaos continues, you will have to advise your manager whenever information is missing or a client meeting has to be relocated.
If these strategies fail to produce results, then all you can do is protect your turf. You have created a clear boundary by installing the divider, so when Oscar’s clutter starts oozing into your territory, simply shove it back where it belongs.
Q:
After many years of being a job-hopper, I’m afraid that I have made myself unemployable. My resume looks like a hodgepodge of unrelated skills and experiences, so I honestly can’t blame employers for not calling me.
I worked in television production until I got tired of the travel, then I got a master’s degree and bounced around from one teaching job to another. My latest blunder was joining a technology company where the work was way over my head. How can I get back on track?
A:
Since none of these exploratory career paths inspired you to continue, you still have absolutely no idea what you want to do. At this point, you need to go back to square one and figure out what excites you.
A qualified career coach can accelerate this process by helping you explore your interests, determine your strengths, and define your preferred work style. For some useful self-help, check out the book “Wishcraft” by Barbara Sher, which provides exercises designed to discover your calling.
Once you have a clear goal, you can identify target employers, then transform your jumbled resume into a coherent description of what you have to offer.
