Q. I am a relatively junior member of a large
publishing company and some of my colleagues have deputed me to write to you. We work in a busy but tranquil open-plan office where a handful of senior figures work in the privacy of their own cubicles. One of them seems to be under the impression that her room is soundproof, but this is not the case. Annoyingly, when speaking about anything that would be interesting to overhear, she keeps her voice low and well modulated; but when she laughs, the sound ricochets off the walls and makes us all start with fright. She is a good-natured person and is completely unaware that these frequent, hyena-like cackles are distracting and unnerving. How can we persuade her to moderate her mirthful responses without hurting her feelings or jeopardising our careers?
R.J.S., address withheld A. Offer work experience to a fully or partially gay youth who will fearlessly collude with you in ridding the office of this nuisance. At the end of day one he must set your colleague’s laugh as the ringtone for his own mobile. In no time your colleague will burst into the main office, confused by the replica laugh. She may demand the intern’s dismissal when she identifies the source. ‘But it’s not an insult,’ your team can insist. ‘He absolutely adores your laugh. It’s a huge tribute to you!’ Ensure the calls keep on coming and your colleague will soon have had a maddening dose of her own medicine. She will swiftly learn to moderate her laugh accordingly.
Previous page
