Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:26     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:I know this is petty, but I'm so perplexed by my coworker's behavior. She joined our office about a year ago, and since she first started she will occasionally sit cross-legged or with her legs up in her chair during staff meetings. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. We work in higher ed, so this is not exactly "Big Law" levels of formality. But why oh why would anyone look so unprofessional in a meeting? I mentioned something to her about it and she said, "It keeps me from squirming during meetings." I know I should let it go, but she's done this in front of higher level administrators at the university. What would you say to a coworker who was doing this? Or should I just MMOB?


Was she a K teacher in some progressive play-based school where all the ADHD kids sit on balls supposedly to help them learn, listen, and pay attention more? In reality they are not paying attention more, and all the other kids want to play on the bouncy ball chairs too.
Yeah, that's higher ed nowadays. Super to see it's bled into millennial hiring and productivity and professionalism as well.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:26     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know this is petty, but I'm so perplexed by my coworker's behavior. She joined our office about a year ago, and since she first started she will occasionally sit cross-legged or with her legs up in her chair during staff meetings. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. We work in higher ed, so this is not exactly "Big Law" levels of formality. But why oh why would anyone look so unprofessional in a meeting? I mentioned something to her about it and she said, "It keeps me from squirming during meetings." I know I should let it go, but she's done this in front of higher level administrators at the university. What would you say to a coworker who was doing this? Or should I just MMOB?


Ooof, just saw the Works in Higher Ed bit.

Fits right in then.


Exactly.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:26     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Obviously this only bothers you as no boss has bothered to say anything about it.

I don't do it but I am short like others here and my legs dangling makes my ankles and feet swell. I just make my chair shorter, I don't worry about appearing "smaller" because I have a big personality and I am definitely seen and heard when necessary.


Any of you short people try putting a yoga block on the floor to rest your feet on? Seems like that would help. I'm team OP on her particular issue, but am sympathetic to those who can't comfortably sit in office furniture, which is not the case with OP's colleague.


I am now imagining OP's post about how irritated she is by her colleague who always brings a yoga block to a meeting


Yes. This. Now let's all wait for a post along the lines of: "I have this one colleague, who always brings a yoga block -- a YOGA BLOCK!! -- into every meetings. Who does she think she is? Does she think this is a yoga studio? We are an office. We work in HIGHER ED."
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:25     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:I know this is petty, but I'm so perplexed by my coworker's behavior. She joined our office about a year ago, and since she first started she will occasionally sit cross-legged or with her legs up in her chair during staff meetings. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. We work in higher ed, so this is not exactly "Big Law" levels of formality. But why oh why would anyone look so unprofessional in a meeting? I mentioned something to her about it and she said, "It keeps me from squirming during meetings." I know I should let it go, but she's done this in front of higher level administrators at the university. What would you say to a coworker who was doing this? Or should I just MMOB?


Ooof, just saw the Works in Higher Ed bit.

Fits right in then.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:25     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know this is petty, but I'm so perplexed by my coworker's behavior. She joined our office about a year ago, and since she first started she will occasionally sit cross-legged or with her legs up in her chair during staff meetings. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. We work in higher ed, so this is not exactly "Big Law" levels of formality. But why oh why would anyone look so unprofessional in a meeting? I mentioned something to her about it and she said, "It keeps me from squirming during meetings." I know I should let it go, but she's done this in front of higher level administrators at the university. What would you say to a coworker who was doing this? Or should I just MMOB?


What a cool lady! Too cool for school! Crotch shots and all.

So cool, pushing the envelop like that. She's so comfy and in yo' face about it!

I'd think she's a self-centered dipshit, and never put her on my clients' stuff.


Do you know what a peasant skirt is?
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:24     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:I know this is petty, but I'm so perplexed by my coworker's behavior. She joined our office about a year ago, and since she first started she will occasionally sit cross-legged or with her legs up in her chair during staff meetings. It's the most bizarre thing I've ever seen. We work in higher ed, so this is not exactly "Big Law" levels of formality. But why oh why would anyone look so unprofessional in a meeting? I mentioned something to her about it and she said, "It keeps me from squirming during meetings." I know I should let it go, but she's done this in front of higher level administrators at the university. What would you say to a coworker who was doing this? Or should I just MMOB?


What a cool lady! Too cool for school! Crotch shots and all.

So cool, pushing the envelop like that. She's so comfy and in yo' face about it!

I'd think she's a self-centered dipshit, and never put her on my clients' stuff.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:21     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings

I would think she has an unfortunately-placed varicose vein, or has that syndrome - can’t remember the name - where sitting for long periods gets so uncomfortable that it becomes painful. My aunt has it.

Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:17     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What other option exists besides minding your own business? I mean, I’m being completely serious. She knows she’s doing it. You are likely the only one who cares. Are you going to report her?


It's highly unlikely that OP is the only one who cares. Lots of people she meets with would find this extremely unprofessional and distracting. If I were mentoring this person, I would tell her she ought to stop.

OP, what does the boss think?


OP here. I haven't brought it up to the boss, because I know it's really petty of me. Yes, yes. I know it's petty, but I still think she looks unprofessional. I think my boss has bigger fish to fry with this person's behavior, so how she sits in meetings is probably pretty low on her list of priorities.

So I get it. I'll MMOB about it. Can I still silently judge?


Of course! I'm silently judging her along with you.

For those of you who say you do this because your feet don't touch the ground, keep in mind that this seems to be happening mostly at regular staff meetings. Hopefully in your own offices you can ask for, and receive, appropriately-sized chairs for your height. That doesn't seem to be the issue with OP's free-spirited colleague.


I'd love to know where you work that an "appropriately sized chair" (and the accompanying shorter desk that would be required) are options for us shorties. I did get a foot rest after I had made a casual comment about my feet not touching the floor to my manager, which I really appreciated. I don't use it, but it was nice of him to try to do something.


+1 - those "appropriately sized chairs" don't exist in normal workplaces
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:07     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Obviously this only bothers you as no boss has bothered to say anything about it.

I don't do it but I am short like others here and my legs dangling makes my ankles and feet swell. I just make my chair shorter, I don't worry about appearing "smaller" because I have a big personality and I am definitely seen and heard when necessary.


Any of you short people try putting a yoga block on the floor to rest your feet on? Seems like that would help. I'm team OP on her particular issue, but am sympathetic to those who can't comfortably sit in office furniture, which is not the case with OP's colleague.


I am now imagining OP's post about how irritated she is by her colleague who always brings a yoga block to a meeting
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 14:07     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What other option exists besides minding your own business? I mean, I’m being completely serious. She knows she’s doing it. You are likely the only one who cares. Are you going to report her?


It's highly unlikely that OP is the only one who cares. Lots of people she meets with would find this extremely unprofessional and distracting. If I were mentoring this person, I would tell her she ought to stop.

OP, what does the boss think?


OP here. I haven't brought it up to the boss, because I know it's really petty of me. Yes, yes. I know it's petty, but I still think she looks unprofessional. I think my boss has bigger fish to fry with this person's behavior, so how she sits in meetings is probably pretty low on her list of priorities.

So I get it. I'll MMOB about it. Can I still silently judge?


Of course! I'm silently judging her along with you.

For those of you who say you do this because your feet don't touch the ground, keep in mind that this seems to be happening mostly at regular staff meetings. Hopefully in your own offices you can ask for, and receive, appropriately-sized chairs for your height. That doesn't seem to be the issue with OP's free-spirited colleague.


The appropriate sized chair for me makes me look like a toddler at a regular sized conference room table. I need the regular chair to bring my upper body to an appropriate level. What I really need is a lower table, but that would cause taller people's knees to appear above the table, which would probably send OP over the edge.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 12:50     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
OP, it sounds like you don't have enough to do.

People go into higher education so they can pursue what they like instead of making boat loads of money and not judging the random sitting patterns of others. (I am out of higher education, because I have to make more money to follow my DH to dc.)
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 12:47     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
"Criss cross applesauce " ?

Are you kindergarten teachers?

I'm not sure why you care if an adult sits cross-legged. Unless she's showing her underwear or something. She says it keeps her from squirming during meetings, right? Maybe it would be better is she tapped or clicked her pen.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 12:41     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
OP is clearly NOT TOO BUSY. I suggest psych eval on why another person's sitting position bothers you that much
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 12:23     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
I feel like 'higher ed' means this lady is actually a community college professor, and the lady she's whining about is like a ceramics professor or a French prof or something..... and these super professional board meetings are faculty meetings ... AKA it doesn't matter at ALL
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2018 12:15     Subject: Co-worker sits "criss-cross applesauce" in meetings
Anonymous wrote:I'm sitting with my left leg pulled up, tucked under my right thigh, and I also do the same with my right tucked under my left thigh. I also have been known to sit (call it what you want: Indian-style, criss-cross-applesauce) here at my desk too. It's very comfortable. Sometimes, I also pull the lower leg up and place it above the other knee, so you know, kind of like a yoga sit? This is all under my desk, but, yeah, I guess I could seem myself doing one of the above at a meeting, under the conference table. I am a 45yo Gen'Xer.


Me too, exactly. I actually had my foot fall asleep yesterday after sitting like that for a while - had to stomp and shake it out. Pretty sure my office mate thought I was crazy, but we get along well so hopefully he's not silently judging me because of that. Or if he is, oh well.