Pros and Cons of the Office
You know the place, the one we all crab about, the one we all supposedly hate to go to every morning? Yeah, the place where the coffee sucks, your desk is too small, and where traffic is always a pain to get through. It’s the office – the one your employer has graciously equipped and staffed for your working pleasure.
I know exactly what many of you are thinking. We all seem to dread heading to work in the morning, knowing that there is a "pile of work" ready and waiting. It seems we associate the negatives of the work we do with the place our employers house there workers and rarely associate the positives of the office itself.
What if you could separate those feelings? What about all the work and preparation that goes into that workplace? The costs involved for employers to provide a workplace for each employee are substantial, and the goal is ultimately make it as easy as possible for you to get your assigned tasks done. Most of the time it works, though our perception is usually clouded by co-workers, outside influences, business climate, workload, and many others.
Many folks talk about working remotely, or from home. It seems that lately we’ve become so enamored with this idea that it’s like the end-all solution to our working woes. As if, just getting out of the office will make all the difference by itself.
This simply isn’t the case. You can change the scenery, but that doesn’t always solve the issue. There are great things about working from home, or being able to set up at a coffee shop for the afternoon. Getting away from drive-bys and the daily routine are highly effective ways to GTD when you need to.
Just don’t forget that on a regular basis, those remote locations, or the home office also have their distractions. Whether it be sick kids home from school, household chores that seem important during the day, or just the noise and music at your favorite coffee shop – they are distractions too. Start taking a look at your employer’s office as a space designed specifically for getting things done. The resources available far outstrip what you can set up at home, or find as a secondary workplace.
From people resources to copiers, take a fresh look and try to separate out the workplace from the work itself. You may be able to discover unused offices or conference rooms to skip off to for an hour. Or find that color printer that does 11×17 landscape that you need for your presentation – you don’t always need to go to Kinkos! Your company is paying for resources to enable you to do your job, finding out what’s available and using the existing space more effectively could make a bit of difference in your productivity and perspective. Give it a try and share your tips if you have them.
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Comments
Comment by Rick Mahn Hi John! Thanks for that tip, I had never thought of taking that approach. Sure a pic or two of the fam, but not going in that direction.
This is a great idea, make it much more relaxing than the standard, stark office that we usually have.
I’ll be checking out your blog and I have one related to GTD for you too! http://freshfocus.info/blog is another great resource on GTD, and Kris is a great writer.
Comment by Amy Things about the office i find is that i am able to concentrate far more than if i was at home. I think it takes a more focused person to work from home because there are many more temptation and distractions, I think this is the biggest pro of office working.
Comment by Rick Mahn @Amy, I certainly agree that the office provides that kind of environment that cuts down or eliminates distraction. My biggest complain about most any office is the disruption – I constantly get interrupted by drive-bys and unproductive meetings. I guess, that’s the biggest thing I like about working either remotely or from home.
Comment by Tom Then you would go insane if you worked in China. People are constantly letting off fireworks, peeping their horns and shouting at each other. Meetings last considerably longer as the English side have to work out what their translator is telling them amongst the babble. You also get a lot of misunderstandings, so you have to go over it about 5 times before everyone is working for the same company! But the general office environment is much quieter than a UK or USA office.
Comment by Jack Yes, eastern office environments are significantly stricter than the west. I think 10 years ago Japanese bosses could tell which office workers to marry and the atmosphere was much like a military installation. Also in some companies in the east, if you talk during work hours you get your salary deducted.
Pingback by Pros and Cons of the Office | Outdoor Decor [...] Pros and Cons of the Office Posted by root 18 minutes ago (http://rickmahn.com) Comment by john b kendrick on september 30 2008 10 26 pm i had my wife help me decorate my office so it looks more like home with gtd on my blog at http johnkendrick wordpress com how to gtd john content on rickmahn com is 2005 2009 under creative commons Discuss | Bury | News | Pros and Cons of the Office [...]
I’ve found a way to get away from the office, without getting away. I had my wife help me decorate my office so it looks more like home. Pictures of the grandkids, some artwork, antiques, desk lamp, very homey. Then, when I need to get some serious work done, I just have my staff hold my calls, shut the door and start getting things done.
I’ve written several posts about my experiences with GTD on my blog at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/how-to-gtd/ John