AIBU to be radged up by a woman sitting through my IT course going 'ooh' and 'ahh' all day?

[YellowHighHeels]

I have spent all day at a course learning a new IT system.

Useful but hardly riveting despite a helpful and quite fun trainer.

I invited a junior colleague who sat there meeting every one of the trainer's points with a low 'oooh' 'wow' 'ahh' or 'mmm' as though it was a fireworks display.

I am trying to help her develop so I feel a bit tight but it has driven me up the bloody wall all day and I've just got home.

In fairness I don't think she has had much formal training so perhaps just didn't know it was not necessary to 'ooh' and 'ahh' or in some way respond but I saw other colleagues and even the trainer starting to look tetchily at her.

She also does it in meetings and it can be distracting when chairing.

Would it be horrendously controlling and mean to tell her in our next 1 to 1 that she does not have to moo all the way through meetings and training?

Real *

I did a first aid course with a woman like this recently. Drove me and the instructor (and probably everyone else) batty. She also kept trying to interrupt him to regale him with various largely irrelevant stories. She also had extreme facial expressions to match her oohs and ahhs.

I honestly have praised her enthusiasm to the nines until I realised it was pretty disconnected from any action

This would drive me nuts

However, I wouldn’t mention it, I think it could be interpreted as bullying, like saying “dude, STFU” which I’d totally want to do...but wouldn’t.

I have a colleague who goes ‘mm, mm, MMMMM, mmm, mm’ when she’s on the phone listening to someone talking. I understand that she’s showing them that she’s listening/engaged but it drives me mad. Particularly the loud MMMs she does ever so often. Drives me round the bend! Funny how some things just get to you.

Is she from the US? I find Americans from the US tend to do this, react loudly with "wows" and "ooohs" to a presentation, or even a TV program that shows anything mildly interesting. It drives me up the wall!

I have a colleague who goes ‘mm, mm, MMMMM, mmm, mm’

Does your work place always allow phone sex ?

This is why I love Lync (or is it now Skype for Business) meetings. You can mute people

Just don't make the mistake one team member did and didn't go on mute in a call our Exec Director was doing. All we heard was "what complete and utter shite you talk", quickly followed by him leaving the call and going offline.

He's offline permanently now.

Oh dear this might be me.. People are so often miserable and bored at work. I tend to try and show enthusiasm to try and lift the mood. If I had to sit there blankly I would end up staring down the barrel of the meaninglessness of life, literally screaming and smashing something then running off to cry in the toilets. Hadn't realised it might be so annoying. Not gonna stop

I do hope this is some kind of pisstake!?

Calmama argh!!!!

Tel her. It will affect her career

SparkleSocks she's moonlighting as a sex line operator!

Aurynne she's not from the US, no.

You shouldn't be waiting for 1 to 1 or performance reviews to bring such things up, you need to discuss it with her at the time. Poor management.

You mean tell her to be quiet her in front of a whole group of colleagues (there wasn't really an opportunity to break away), many of them strangers?

I don't see humiliating someone as good management.

I’d approach it from a “your verbal nods that you’re taking on board information can be distracting for others in the room” sort of way. Sounds almost as annoying as the person who I know who finishes the other person’s sentences to indicate they’re following what’s been said, drives me potty!!

You mean tell her to be quiet her in front of a whole group of colleagues (there wasn't really an opportunity to break away), many of them strangers?

I'm sure @Firelink isn't saying do that, not that I'm clarifying on their behalf of course.

When there is a break during the course (all courses have them), you pull them to one side and professionally tell them to "wind their neck in".

Phil thanks, there wasn't really the chance to do so though. The trainer went straight through with no breaks except lunch to finish early enough for some group members to get away in time to get a train. Lunch was spent in the group.

Tbh I wasn't sure at the time whether it would be controlling to pull her up on this but I think I will mention it. It adds no value to sessions and is distracting.