The Cubicle Continuum

Thanks very much to Lauren for her very interesting perspective on comparing/contrasting where the POTUS labors in the Oval Office, to the rather humble work abodes that the rest of us get to inhabit for some eight hours a day. That's about 225 days a year, or, if you prefer, 7,875 hours, but hey-who's counting?When we think about going from the very apex of office couture to the more utilitarian stuff that we're all used to, the way we decorate our spaces does say a helluva lot about us. And, while our wall space does indeed send a message, this, of course, isn't necessarily good, either for our images or for our future career.It's like the very short, typically Napoleonic boss who insists on having office furniture that's either too small (to make him appear taller), or very large (so that we're impressed with the 'grandeur' of the setting). More interesting, I think, is the way in which each of us chooses to decorate our workspace.It's ironic, if you think about it, how easily … [Read more...] about What Your Office Walls REALLY Reveal About You

I don't know about you, but almost nothing peaks my curiosity more than wondering what's inside other peoples packages. Ah, just seeing those varied size brown packages, or thick envelopes, addressed to people I know, feeds my imagination to no end. Call me a voyeur, or a snoop, or a frustrated postal inspector, and you're probably right.Though it's currently 'verboten' where I work, most of us still continue to get personal packages mailed to our offices/cubes. Of course, prior to 9/11 and the subsequent Anthrax mail scare, this was never an issue. It seemed that the mail order business prospered, as a flow of packages came in to our offices daily. Now, it seems, every HR type wants to play Homeland Security maven; so personal packages are discouraged, or even prohibited. And yes, there's even memos codifying this rule. What, they're gonna protect us from...The Book of the Month Club? Or, worse yet, Netflix? Uh oh, maybe its a Victoria's Secret catalog, or even a naughty package of … [Read more...] about Personal Packages Banned at Work

I'll bet that there isn't one of us who, at least sometimes (though more likely most of the time), doesn't piss n' moan about the abject unfairness of having to earn a living by...working! This type of whining permeates all levels, strata, and echelons, from the lowest paid 7-11 cashier to the CEO of Google. Actually, this attitude is equally endemic to both white and blue collar workers, and don't kid yourself, to the new green collars as well. Yet, who knows what the general 'dissatisfaction rate' really is? The media, when they deign to profile 'The Common Man,' will typically follow the scent of what they think is in vogue, like a stray dog in heat. So, one year when they want to pander to the conservatives, they tell us that, as Americans, we enjoy the very best working conditions possible. And that we should be grateful for what we got, and then they perennially insult our collective intelligence by comparing us to, let's say, who they think our counterparts are in either … [Read more...] about Work Itself Is a Benefit: The 3 ‘S’s

The mystique of mood is a phenomenon that has haunted us from, I suppose, the very beginning of time.  Why do we feel one way at a certain point in time, and then almost exactly the opposite, a short time later, even when nothing has substantially changed to account for such a difference in how we feel, how we see the world, and how we treat others?  True, it's one thing to have to deal with mood swings, etc. in the nuclear and extended family, as well as with just about everyone else we interact with, but it rises - or falls - to a whole other level of importance once we take mood into the workplace.  Mood is as much a part of us as anything else that's an integral part of who we are, like a personality, an ego and even a conscience.  And we take it with us, wherever we go.While moods are a natural part of the human condition, it's still important to think about them, and how they can impact on us, and not just today, but possibly even where our future is … [Read more...] about Mood Rings at Work

As Hallmark so aptly-and annually-reminds us, this coming Sunday is Father's Day. For many families, there'll be the usual barbecue, perhaps a gift or two, and of course a greeting card. More likely than not, the card will depict a Waspish, American-ideal family gathered around 'dear ole' Dad,' as he relaxes in an almost Archie Bunkeresqe easy chair. Though the smoking pipe and hunting rifle are now gone from today's scene, the general idea has remained consistant.Corny? Sure it is, yet the whole idea of this holiday, and the cultural accoutrements that accompany it, are really pretty damned nice. It is, after all, about love, and the safety and security that a warm, healthy father son/daughter relationship brings to the overall family dynamic. Despite social engineering mantras to the contrary, guess what? Fathers do indeed still count-just ask their children.It's ironic, if you think about it, that not only are we always told at work how we are really one big happy family, but … [Read more...] about The Pros and Cons of a Workplace Mentor

Summer is a time that we all look forward to, for a variety of reasons.  This anticipation starts with childhood, when, after a school year that we never thought would end, we finally got a free pass from the confines of the stuffy classroom.  Even if it was only for two months, we felt free."No more school, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks"We now carry on in our careers, feeling almost confined in our cubes, basking in light at best florescent. Yet, the sheer physicality of summer; its sunshine, warmth and the almost endless possibilities for all sorts of pleasures, never really leaves us. Nor should it. For those of us who pretty much work through most of the summer, there is, I have to admit, a lot of wistful gazing out the window. And a lot of restless energy, while wishing that we were biking, swimming, golfing, playing softball, tennis, golf, or indulging in the not so simple task of trying lazily to do absolutely nothing.If you're stuck at work … [Read more...] about How to 'Summerize' Your Job

Like a lot of us, I too tend to sometimes concentrate on what appears to be an endless array of human failings. Behavior and conduct  (not by me of course) that's so disgusting, so enraging, that, paradoxically, I almost feel drawn to. Like picking at a scab, or making a toothache hurt more...I really need (or want) confirmation of the crappy way I view my colleagues and, really, the world. And, where's the best Petri dish to peek at this pathology? You guessed it, at work.So, the corporate environment becomes almost a biosphere, a colony of cubes, housing our co-workers. Busy and active, they cease being people, and instead are nothing more than a bunch of bacteria. Germs mindlessly swimming through the company agar, looking for that next promotion, raise, or whatever. Worse yet, some even seek to infect your environment with an unhealthy dose of  their hypocrisy, deceit or sheer stupidity.Not to belabor this rather loose medical model, but hey - there has to be a cure for … [Read more...] about Office Rx: Mind Your Own Business

Snake bit: To be cursed, extremely unlucky or destined to fail at anything you try.Fear of snakes has always haunted mankind, and for at least some of us, it's too creepy a subject to even think about. After all, it's a phobia that we've carried with us, ever since we left the primeval ooze - and remains with us - even into the age of the cubicle. I don't know if you've ever heard the expression 'snake bit', but it's one of those primo descriptives that says a helluva lot, leanly and cleanly. The term refers to some poor sap (hey, it could well be you or me) who suffers from a virtual cascade of bad luck. Knowing no racial, gender, age, religious or other boundaries, real bad luck is, well, an equal opportunity inflictor. And it can slither into our lives and bite us.  Despite our best efforts, we think that we can't shake it off.Sure, it can start slowly, like a guy cutting himself shaving, and the damned bleeding won't stop, even hours later. And it continues, even when the … [Read more...] about Getting 'Snake Bit' at Work Could Be Your Fault

There's not one of us who, at least sometimes, doesn't find ourselves slodging through our daily cubicle continuums, leading lives of quiet desperation, oppressed by the seeming sameness of everything and everybody. Where the world just appears to us in monochromatic grey. Where everything tastes, feels and even smells metallic and stale. And, beyond all of the personal feelings of mega-blah, you also know that your work will at best be on automatic pilot. Yet for some, at least those of us who are blessed with an active fantasy life, there's always an escape- a slip through the portals of the mind, and there you are...the time and place totally up to you. And so, like with swearing as a tensional outlet, the daydreams that give you a refreshing break are (but not quite) almost as good as R&R. They're stimulating, refreshing and will help salvage your mind. It might even help your creative juices to begin flowing once again. Aloha, dear readers, upon my return from Hawaii. Though … [Read more...] about Bring the Secret of Ho'ohana to Your Job

Okay, time's up, pens down. Whether you actually took the leadership mini-quiz or not, the idea was to explore this important issue, and it's possible impact on your cubicle career. As we said last week, our world accommodates both carnivores and vegetarians, and the one doesn't necessarily fall prey to the other. In other words, the task - and yes, privilege, of leading - isn't for everyone, nor should it be. I mean, what an absurd world it would be if there were only leaders...who would the followers be? After all, there can only be leaders if there are followers.Without further delay, here are your long-awaited answers to last weeks questions:1. Are leaders and managers the same thing?No, absolutely not. But the answer isn't really so simple, because being one doesn't exclude the other. For example, and based on your place in the chain of command, you may well be expected to successfully implement plans and execute orders issued by higher authority (i.e. being a good manager). Yet, … [Read more...] about Leadership vs. Management: Quiz Answers