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This question is relevant for anyone who does not have the luxury of working from home – something that I, personally, don't count as a blessing, as some folks make us believe. Working from home has totally different dynamics. The reason lies in the office culture, the infrastructure, the people fueling daily interactions, and the type of decision-makers that are found at every contemporary workplace. Closing in on the question – what really is a good workplace environment? Does the presence of a great snack stand or awesome lattes throughout the day mean you are privileged as an employee? There is limited help out there if you want to evaluate your organizational culture; most information found online is often heavily manipulated. The answers have to come from you and me...
Figure Out Your Workplace Category: Defining Workspaces
Does the freedom to chat throughout the day or text on your phone mean invaluable liberties? I believe that there are no parameters in this regard, as personal preferences can be very different. Some people might love the structure that comes with office life, while others might despise the sense of control or decorum the workplace tries to create for maximum productivity. Please comment, sharing what your office is like—the love-hate relationship is understandable, but overall, how is it treating you?
Updated on January 8, 2018: We have brought in an indoor plant to try and enliven the surroundings. Cannot do much about the existing decor, the drab wall paint, but we can add some green splash in the form of a Croton, a small plant that is quite dexterous, able to survive indoors and outdoors. Just today, I got a small water sprayer to ensure the leaves are kept greener.
Updated on January 29, 2018: We have been hopeful about getting a new workspace. Today, we came closer to realizing this, visiting the site that is being prepared just a few feet away from our current dwelling. Though the work has just started, the hopes are up. We are betting on more ventilation, more body maneuvering space, better washrooms, and conference halls that can genuinely host a team meeting. Our expectations are small and very real. Nothing too fancy and somewhat optimistic...this pretty much sums up my small, lovable team!
Updated on April 4, 2018: The work pressure is getting to them. I don't have immediate solutions as a Manager, though; ideally, I should have at least a couple. This is the real time, that phase, when the performers and the shirkers will drift apart. My unintentional, and non-broody, disassociation from team activities/interactions is perhaps bringing them together. This is my first impression after last week saw strenuous work schedules and some projects becoming too tight for our comfort. I wish I could share this article about teamwork dynamics, but right now, it is better for them to realize a few things on their own. I stand apart a bit, trying to understand the psychology at work.
Updated on October 17, 2018: The current scenario is closer to what I have always wanted. A small bunch that knows about teamwork, a small pool of people I can trust. Yes, there will always be differences of opinion and sometimes, the ego clashes will spiral out of control, but these days, I am better at understanding the dynamics of working with a predominantly female team, and they, in turn, comprehend my expectations a lot better. A couple of them now seem to have more clarity about the fact that increasing expectations, praise, adulation, and some scrutiny mix-up as a part of team culture when you are in it for the long run. They seem to realize that friction is not about hating someone but a natural byproduct of different individuals sharing the shade of the same umbrella.
My categorization for office spaces is:
- Plain ugly: the aesthetics are absent, but functionally, things work. The walls might seem too banal, but every laptop works at blazing speed, and the volumes keep coming in
- Has Potential: carries some serious promise of getting better all the time, but rarely delivers, and still, you cannot hate it because it looks so full of promise!
- Legacy space: has too much history, some adorable, the rest overwhelming and boring
- Progressive: puts a premium on the quality of work done
- Mutually beneficial: provides the best work-life balance
- Pain-in-the-arse: overwhelmed by petty policies and politics
- Stopover: serves as a filler until employees find a new, better job
- Un-introspective: too much of a chicken to take a reality-check
- Women-oriented: suffers from estrogen overload. All men are hated here. There is zero tolerance for boyfriends, husbands, brothers, fathers, and especially male bosses
- Women despos: too many male employees, eager for some eye candy. Cesspool of perversity
- Wastefully inclined: don't optimize/recycle resources, waste without realizing the pit they are digging. These offices are a nightmare if you are ecologically righteous
- Cluttered: too many things stacked in each corner of the office floor, and each cabin looks like it was overwhelmed by an ocean of missed deadlines
- Lounging hubs: less work / more sleep aura. Employees seated like folks folded out in front of the TV
- Themed corners: bigger workplaces with expansive surface areas have the luxury of including chatting corners, lost in love nooks, and small spots where people can continuously feel the need to stand by their device while it gets charged
- Monk silent: these are not workplaces but sanctuaries aimed at people who want to recuperate physically and mentally, perhaps spiritually too!
Updated on January 29, 2018: We have been hopeful about getting a new workspace. Today, we came closer to realizing this, visiting the site that is being prepared just a few feet away from our current dwelling. Though the work has just started, the hopes are up. We are betting on more ventilation, more body maneuvering space, better washrooms, and conference halls that can genuinely host a team meeting. Our expectations are small and very real. Nothing too fancy and somewhat optimistic...this pretty much sums up my small, lovable team!
Updated on April 4, 2018: The work pressure is getting to them. I don't have immediate solutions as a Manager, though; ideally, I should have at least a couple. This is the real time, that phase, when the performers and the shirkers will drift apart. My unintentional, and non-broody, disassociation from team activities/interactions is perhaps bringing them together. This is my first impression after last week saw strenuous work schedules and some projects becoming too tight for our comfort. I wish I could share this article about teamwork dynamics, but right now, it is better for them to realize a few things on their own. I stand apart a bit, trying to understand the psychology at work.
Updated on October 17, 2018: The current scenario is closer to what I have always wanted. A small bunch that knows about teamwork, a small pool of people I can trust. Yes, there will always be differences of opinion and sometimes, the ego clashes will spiral out of control, but these days, I am better at understanding the dynamics of working with a predominantly female team, and they, in turn, comprehend my expectations a lot better. A couple of them now seem to have more clarity about the fact that increasing expectations, praise, adulation, and some scrutiny mix-up as a part of team culture when you are in it for the long run. They seem to realize that friction is not about hating someone but a natural byproduct of different individuals sharing the shade of the same umbrella.