The Moxie Mash

♥ Post written by Cristy Wiza.

Photo by kit1578.

No, I’m not talking about curse words, although there are a few that make even me cringe. I’m talking about words that will NOT be bleeped out on national television. These are ordinary English-American-language words that wouldn’t cause anyone else to notice but causes you to flinch and put your hands over your ear (ie. the earmuffs). Hmm… maybe you need an example.

Moist.

Did you scrunch up your face a little while reading that? This is a word that causes the rest of the office, sans myself, to make a squished up face and often say “eww” or something to that extent. The truth is, I tend to like the gross and inappropriate. It’s how I was raised. No, really. I grew up on Rambo and Die Hard movies, blood and violence and all that good stuff.

In the office, however, it’s important to understand your coworkers comfort levels, and this includes those words that cross their tolerable limits. Ok, I’ll admit I’m usually the one to test these limits, but if I know it really bothers them, I’ll do my best to avoid those words.

To keep the office-peace, in almost any office with more than one person, there is an understanding that some things are just off limits. Since there is usually a mix of people from all different places, backgrounds, and lifestyles, it sometimes difficult to know what subjects and words are sensitive. When the topic arises that does make someone legitimately uncomfortable, this needs to be recognized and respected. (Unless, of course, you want office tension.)

For many people, almost half of their waking hours is spent at work during the week. Office dynamics are interesting and complicated and easily thrown off kilter, but when things are going smoothly it can be a great place to spend the day. Just remember to keep those “earmuffs” words in check!

(As for the alligator photo, well, I couldn’t find a good earmuffs photo, so… the alligator lives in a “moist” habitat. HAHA!)

www.thinkmoxie.com