I recall the old (bad) joke: If a bus stops at a bus station and a train stops at a train station, what happens at a workstation?
The joke is bad but truthful. The office turns out to be one of the worst places to get things done. Even busy coffee shops are better.
What happened?
Offices turn out to be a bad place to focus and get things done. Especially if it is an open office and everyone is busy chatting.
The only thing missing from offices are marching bands and clowns doing card tricks. Well…come to think of it…there are clowns in offices!
1. Don’t want to miss anything
We are all curious. If you see a fellow worker quietly chatting with another worker, curiosity is hard to overcome.
Some have turned it into an art form where they can make it look like they are super focused on their work but really are listening.
These super sleuths have tuned their gigantic ears to focus on the conversation picking up every word.
Oh, the delicious stories that are heard! Of course, no work is accomplished!
2. Visiting
What is the best social mixer? Work!
We are all social creatures and we love to get together and talk. About work, home, children, spouse, sports, etc.
Work does not get done but there is a good time by all.
The best visiting is gossiping and rumor spreading where someone can start quite the firestorm by unfounded rumors.
The best rumors to start a fire are ones involving layoffs and mass firings. Pay cuts are also great rumor potential.
Of course, who is dating who and who is smoking what is great material.
The rumors and gossip flow through the office like a volcanic explosion with lava overwhelming everyone in its path.
3. Ad hoc Meetings
This is celebrated by some executives but it really is a time suck.
There are legit conditions when ad hoc meetings are needed.
Emergencies, quick huddles for brainstorming, new critical information becoming available, etc. are all good reasons for an ad hoc meeting.
However, the number of times these are needed are rare. There are many ad hoc meetings held but I have found few are needed.
Office Problems
The office is no longer mandatory for employee success. The company of the future will realize the conditions for work success can be in the office, at home, at a coffee shop, or at the base of a large tree on a warm summer day. Forward looking companies will give their employees options to where their work gets done.
In a future post, I will discuss the number 1 activity that makes productivity increase to a spectacular level.