Are you working with KiKats, Blisters or Noodles?

🤔 Name it, to Tame it.

Sad to say, but it's true! Patience has never really been a virtue of mine.

I run my own business with two staff members for 33 years. One staff member has been with me for 26 years — her skills are vastly different to mine, and she’s more than amazing, so she doesn’t fall into any of these categories - as per the displayed pic.

I also work as a team member in a number of organisations — some NGOs, some for-profit.

Over the years, I have become less impatient, but I’ll admit I’m still easily triggered when I expect more from a colleague or teammate.🤣

This morning, someone WhatsApp’d me the displayed pic (credit unknown), and I literally laughed out loud. 🤣

As you can see - it lists 'nicknames' for co-workers, and I thought: how brilliant! Sometimes a quick chuckle is all we need to shift our perspective.

These are gems...

1. Motion light: only works when someone walks past

2. KiKat: always taking a break

3. Noodles: thinks all jobs only take 2 minutes

4. Blister: appears when the hard work is done

5️. E.T. : always wants to go home

Gold, right?

Here’s the nudge: when you notice your colleagues’ quirks, and feel that irritation, frustration, or anger rising up … pause.

“Name it to tame it.” Not out loud (please don’t call anyone “Blister” in the next team meeting), but internally.

By labelling what you’re noticing — you defuse some of the tension inside yourself. It’s less about them, and more about managing you.

Workplaces can exacerbate our anxiety levels, and they are messy and complex.

A dose of humour can lighten the load and help us reframe those moments where patience feels in short supply.Let's have some fun ...it's mid week.

Which one of these nicknames shows up most often in your workplace?