Help! We’re all sick of kowtowing to the office food nazi

Dear Aunty B,

We have a food nazi in the office who is driving everyone crazy.

She is really thin, won’t eat meals with us, has all this funny routine stuff around fresh juices and lectures us about microwaves and glad wrap all the time. She actually threw out our glad wrap and we all have to heat things up with plates over the top!

When we go out for the occasional lunch we always have to consider where she would like to go because there are so few things she will actually eat.

The last straw was the Christmas party venue had to be changed because they said they would not do a vegan menu for her because the kitchen would be too busy. We have ended up booking at a place where the food will taste like sawdust and she won’t eat anything anyway!

Should the crazy preferences of one person dominate the office? We are the majority so why do we let her tell us what to do?

John D,
Moorabbin

Dear John,

Do you know why? Because you are kind, nice people who sense that this person has a problem. You don’t know whether it is an eating disorder or she has suffered a major illness. But you sense her distress and you don’t want to add to it by insisting she conform to you. That’s why. And the food at the Christmas restaurant will probably be delicious and good for you so stop complaining.

I suggest that if you want a social activity with her you go out for a drink or a herbal tea and avoid lunch, which will ease the tension. Or you can work hard to find one place you are all happy to frequent and go there. We all have our gripes, our beliefs and our weird little ways. And we all just have to get on.

Now how are you tracking against your KPIs? Overachieving are you?

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

This Aunty B was originally published by SmartCompany on November 21, 2011