Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Moving On Up
The truth is, between trips, traveling bosses, and moving offices, I just don't have the energy to be creative with the theories as I'd promised. But I do have this: A Modern Office Dilemma.
Last week, my assistant and I were finally granted an upgrade from refugee status in a borrowed corner of Development, marked off by a doublewide cube with high walls. Yes, we moved to the promised land: the former Emeritus Suite in the East Wing, complete with a single bathroom and a wall of windows. It's a nice little place, though oddly shaped, but our own real office nonetheless with no other departments surrounding us. We even have one of the few non-alarmed doors (outgoing only).
The area was once the home of the retired former CEO, who liked to come in and chat in a sitting area with his colleagues. After a while, he stopped coming in and the workers whose offices line the long hallway leading to the office got used to using the bathroom, lounging in the sitting area, and walking out of the door. A year passed. That leads us to last week.
You can already see the problem. As we moved in, several people wandered through, perusing our things, using the bathroom, walking out the door, etc. We had to say something for them to acknowledge our presence, at which point they'd fail to introduce themselves and skip to the part where they'd announce they would still be using our bathroom and/or door. No asking, no with-your-permission, no if-it's-ok-with-you, just, "Yeah, boy, we sure do like your door. haHA!" One woman tried to convince us not to install a lock on our office or close our door (the bathroom is directly behind the door) using the reasoning that she'd had several cameras stolen and still didn't get a lock. Good reason.
Since then, we've had at least one person per each half-day traipse through here with a polite announcement like, "COMIN' THRU!" before they ram into the door and let it slam behind them. Or, we'd be chatting about said incident when we realize another person has walked into our area and into the bathroom, no doubt having overheard most of the conversation. I can only imagine how my boss will enjoy this as we lay out a monthly issue and are interrupted by someone "comin' thru."
I realize that this is the point where someone might call us spoiled and ungracious, or we should roll with the punches, or whatever else comes to their no-problem-stomping-through-other-people's-offices-and-touching-their-things-without-permission mind.
And, that's the problem: Modern offices are too settled into the caste system. People with offices are afforded privacy. They can close their doors and talk on the phone, snooze, or work quietly and nobody bats an eye. Those of us (that is, the majority of people) unlucky enough to work in a cube or in a common area have no privacy, a forced familiarity with others, and a constant encroachment on what little territory we have (see Waddams, Milton). Now we finally have an office, but because people are used to walking through it, they apparently intend on continuing to the point where we'll be deemed unreasonable for closing our door. After all, they're Office People and we're not.
In my opinion, it's time to set some limits. But, how? Cordon off the area? Petition each department involved for politeness? Send the boss? Send myself? Gently suggest? Strongly suggest? Electric fence? Spiked floors? Whatever it is, besides dealing with it, we will be taking away their candy and won't be too popular. At the moment, however, we're considering installing these at the door:
Last week, my assistant and I were finally granted an upgrade from refugee status in a borrowed corner of Development, marked off by a doublewide cube with high walls. Yes, we moved to the promised land: the former Emeritus Suite in the East Wing, complete with a single bathroom and a wall of windows. It's a nice little place, though oddly shaped, but our own real office nonetheless with no other departments surrounding us. We even have one of the few non-alarmed doors (outgoing only).
The area was once the home of the retired former CEO, who liked to come in and chat in a sitting area with his colleagues. After a while, he stopped coming in and the workers whose offices line the long hallway leading to the office got used to using the bathroom, lounging in the sitting area, and walking out of the door. A year passed. That leads us to last week.
You can already see the problem. As we moved in, several people wandered through, perusing our things, using the bathroom, walking out the door, etc. We had to say something for them to acknowledge our presence, at which point they'd fail to introduce themselves and skip to the part where they'd announce they would still be using our bathroom and/or door. No asking, no with-your-permission, no if-it's-ok-with-you, just, "Yeah, boy, we sure do like your door. haHA!" One woman tried to convince us not to install a lock on our office or close our door (the bathroom is directly behind the door) using the reasoning that she'd had several cameras stolen and still didn't get a lock. Good reason.
Since then, we've had at least one person per each half-day traipse through here with a polite announcement like, "COMIN' THRU!" before they ram into the door and let it slam behind them. Or, we'd be chatting about said incident when we realize another person has walked into our area and into the bathroom, no doubt having overheard most of the conversation. I can only imagine how my boss will enjoy this as we lay out a monthly issue and are interrupted by someone "comin' thru."
I realize that this is the point where someone might call us spoiled and ungracious, or we should roll with the punches, or whatever else comes to their no-problem-stomping-through-other-people's-offices-and-touching-their-things-without-permission mind.
And, that's the problem: Modern offices are too settled into the caste system. People with offices are afforded privacy. They can close their doors and talk on the phone, snooze, or work quietly and nobody bats an eye. Those of us (that is, the majority of people) unlucky enough to work in a cube or in a common area have no privacy, a forced familiarity with others, and a constant encroachment on what little territory we have (see Waddams, Milton). Now we finally have an office, but because people are used to walking through it, they apparently intend on continuing to the point where we'll be deemed unreasonable for closing our door. After all, they're Office People and we're not.
In my opinion, it's time to set some limits. But, how? Cordon off the area? Petition each department involved for politeness? Send the boss? Send myself? Gently suggest? Strongly suggest? Electric fence? Spiked floors? Whatever it is, besides dealing with it, we will be taking away their candy and won't be too popular. At the moment, however, we're considering installing these at the door:
and, finally, my own creation:
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