Tag Archives: person

Dealing with mean girls — and boys — in the workplace

Though most mean girls and tough boys of middle and high school grow out of their sophomoric behaviors, some cling to them well beyond college and into adulthood. That means you may encounter this behavior in the workplace. Author Meredith Fuller, a psychologist in Australia, interviewed over 200 women about mean girls in the workplace for her book, Working with Bitches. She discovered that certain personality “types” can make the lives of their coworkers miserable just as they did back in school. Grown women may feel some of the similar inhibitions they felt as teenagers when dealing with these difficult personalities in the workplace. Here are some of the most difficult personality types and how to deal with them: The Excluder:  She barely acknowledges you, pretends you don’t exist, fails to include you in important meetings and doesn’t bother giving you important information. How to cope: Most women don’t like to be disliked or excluded from the group, but ask yourself if you really want to be this person’s friend anyway. There’s a good chance you don’t. Her cold shoulder may simply be pushing a button of an earlier school girl experience. But if you flip your perspective and don’t take it personally, you may enjoy not having the burden of having to interact with her. This could be tricky, though, if you need information or input from her, but removing your emotional response will definitely ease these interactions. “Work out alternative ways to gather data or whatever else you need to do your job properly,” writes Fuller. Don’t try to push or goad her into communicating with you. You’ll just get the same treatment in spades. Instead, be civil and respond in a measured, mature way. That will help to diminish her effect on you.   The Screamer:  He yells to intimidate, insult and get a reaction. Like Ari Gold of Entourage, he's tightly wound and barks instructions at full volume. He’s critical and thinks he’s the only one who can get the job done correctly. He wants you to drop everything and race after whatever he's demanding. He’s volatile, impulsive and throws insults around the office. How to cope:  A screamer can’t hear you when he’s in a rage. So wait until he’s done before attempting to respond to his accusations. He probably doesn’t even want a response, because screaming is a one-way conversation. Trying to argue will only escalate it. Once you’ve identified a screamer, you can brace yourself to some degree for his outbursts – though they may still take a toll on you. Look at your own response to screamers, which is often influenced by your own experiences growing up. Do you find it highly distressing? Do you find it amusing, like watching a child have a tantrum? Or can you keep an emotional distance

Feet contain most fungi on body, new research shows

A new map of the fungal species lurking on human skin reveals the most diverse communities can be found on — you guessed it — the bottom of the feet. Genetic sequencing found the fungal genus Malassezia dominated on most of the core body regions and arms. The heel, toenail and toe web (skin between the toes), by contrast, supported highly varied fungal communities. Imbalances in these populations may lead to athlete's foot and other fungal diseases, the researchers say. The skin serves as a barrier to pathogenic microorganisms, but is also home to a rich array of harmless microbes. Until now, most efforts to study the skin's microorganisms have focused on bacterial species, but fungi (which are a distinct biological group) form a significant part of these skin communities. Feet love fungi In the study, scientists took skin scrapings from 10 healthy adults at 14 different sites on the body. They sequenced the DNA from the swabs. In addition, the researchers isolated more than 130 fungal strains from the genera Malassezia, Penicillium and Aspergillus, and grew them in the lab.   The genus Malassezia, which may cause dandruff, was the most abundant type of fungus at all 11 core-body and arm sites, results showed. These areas included the inner elbow, palm, space between the eyebrows, back of the head, nostril and forearm, among other spots. Core-body sites, such as the chest and abdomen, had the fewest types of fungi, ranging from two to 10 genera. The three foot sites — heel, toenail and toe web — contained much greater fungal diversity, with populations of Malassezia¸ Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula and Epicoccum, among others. Overall, the heel had the most diverse fungal makeup, with about 80 fungal genera. One study participant had an especially diverse array of fungi. This person had taken a course of oral antifungal medication for a toenail infection seven months prior to the study. The unusual fungal diversity suggests that either an imbalance in the fungal community was causing the stubborn toenail infections, or that changes in the microbe composition due to the medication continued even seven months after stopping treatment, the researchers say. The results demonstrate that human skin is capable of harboring a highly varied fungal population. When fungi go awry The researchers also sequenced bacteria on the skin. The results confirmed previous findings for skin bacterial makeup in healthy people. In contrast to fungal populations, the most diverse bacterial populations were found on the arms. The person with abnormal fungal diversity appeared to have a normal distribution of bacteria. The study of the skin's native fungi has important implications for infection and disease. About 20 percent of the study participants showed signs of possible foot fungal infections, and previous studies have shown up to 60 percent of healthy people may harbor such infections. Fungal infections affect 29 million North Americans. Several factors influence the prevalence of fungal infections, including population and climate. Antifungal medications can have dangerous side effects, and new treatments that target fungal imbalances are needed, the researchers say. The findings were reported online May 22 in the journal Nature.  source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/22/feet-contain-most-fungus/

How to deal with bad behavior at the gym

The etiquette of dealing with space invaders, circuit breakers and other gym scourges. Space Invaders Problem: You finally make it to yoga class, but just as it begins, a latecomer places his mat inches from yours. Now you can’t salute the sun without smacking your neighbor’s back. Solution: Confront, but in a nice way. “Always begin your approach with the thought that most people aren’t rude on purpose,” Liz Neporent, exercise physiologist and a coauthor of “The Fat-Free Truth,” said. “They’re simply wrapped up in their own little worlds.”  You could say something like, “Excuse me, but I’m going to need a little extra room here,” suggested Dee Poquette, a personal trainer in Danbury, Connecticut. If politeness fails, move to another spot or take the matter to a higher authority. Chances are the gym or studio may be overselling classes. Loud Talkers Problem: You’re thoroughly engrossed in a magazine, cycling toward your eight-mile goal, when a woman on the machine behind you answers her cell phone and proceeds to discuss her dinner plans at full volume. Solution: Say something, but keep your tone pleasant and nonaccusatory. You can say, “Excuse me, but your conversation is distracting―would you mind talking off the gym floor?” If you don’t want to get directly involved, ask an employee to intervene.  “The proble mis that many clubs don’t ban cell phones,” John McCarthy, a former executive director of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, said.  If yours doesn’t, try moving to another part of the gym or wearing headphones. Smelly Patrons Problem: As you work yourself into an elliptical frenzy, a strong whiff of your most hated perfume (or, worse, body odor) wafts your way, and you feel as if you’re going to suffocate or faint. Solution: Move away, if possible. But if you’re stuck in close quarters, there’s little you can do beyond discreetly taking your complaint to a manager.  “When the issue is personal grooming, we prefer members to come to us,” Steven L. Schwartz, chief executive officer of Midtown Athletic Clubs in Chicago, said. “It’s uncomfortable for someone to tell another person that he smells bad.”      Sometimes the issue is ignorance or, in the case of body odor, inattention. Poquette recalled when one client’s odor lingered long after he had left the room, bothering other clients.  “It turns out he would work out and put his clothes in the locker, then put the same clothes back on two days later,” she said. “As soon as someone pointed out the issue, the problem was straightened out. You’d think he could tell, but he was oblivious.” Circuit Breakers Problem: As you’re zooming around the machines, which are clearly labeled 1 through 9 for circuit training, you see someone position herself on the shoulder press―your intended next stop. Solution: “A certain amount of jumping in on a circuit is acceptable, provided the person doesn’t block someone who’s going through in order,” Neporent said. “If someone is about to block you, you can say, ‘I’m following the circuit, and I’m about to use that machine.’ ”      If she blocks you anyway, keep going around and come back to the machine later to maintain the flow of your workout. Circuit etiquette is a bit different from general weight-room etiquette in that you’re expected to let another person use your machine―that is, “work in”―while you rest or do cardio between sets. Should a response to your “May I work in with you?” be less than friendly, simply back off or take the matter to the trainer on duty. You’re not tattling.      “Things like that have a way of boiling over in gyms,” Denis Barry, a co-owner of Edge, a gym in New York City, said. Click for more tips on gym etiquette from Real Simple. source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/coping-with-bad-behavior-at-gym/