Reply to I don't like my co-workers and it's making me not like my job

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, I also don't follow sports and I have time for just a few TV shows (none of which are those my co-workers watch).  Here's what I do:

- Learn to ask interested questions that don't require knowledge, like "If I was going to pick just one of these shows to watch, which would you recommend?"  Bonus if you follow up and actually watch half an episode from time to time.

- Avoid saying things like "I don't have time for TV" -- people get sensitive if it sounds like you are judging their TV time, even if that's not what you meant.  Stick with more neutral statements like "I haven't seen that" or "I just never got into that show, tell me more about it."  It's fine to broaden the conversation by saying "Oh, I never get to see Sunday night TV because I do [activity] instead" so long as it doesn't criticize or shut down the TV conversation they all apparently enjoy.

- Keep some current media awareness, whether by reading TV/movie reviews or clicking on that news story about whatever controversial thing is on TV or whatever.  For example, I'm up on the reality shows because I watch "The Soup" once every few weeks, and I don't get HBO but sometimes I read an article about HBO's "Girls" or similar show that is making news.  I haven't seen the movies that won Oscars, but I read the WaPo article about the awards.  There is value in being culturally in touch, even beyond talking to your co-workers.

- Pick a team (maybe your college team) and check the news headlines on it from time to time just to get a sense of how it's going.  I went to a school well known for its sports so people always ask me about the game: I like to be able to say something like, "nah, I stopped watching this season because Team's performance was so depressing."  I don't follow it any closer than that.  If they ask me about pro sports I can say that I mostly follow my college, and then deflect by asking what is happening with their pro sport of interest.

I'm a little less positive about cubicle stop-bys than is PP -- personally, I like them to be limited, or at least have a work-related point in addition to the pleasantries -- but the above should break the ice at lunch.[/quote]

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