28 May 2009

"Been in so many places" --Jim Croce

I've been in my organization for *mumble* years and I've worked at different sites and in multiple buildings and in a lot of offices.

It seems that in my current building, every few months there has to be some switching of offices. There just HAS! TO! BE! Even as I write this, there are offices on my hall that are being reconfigured, furniture swapped out, name plates shifted, phone lines rerouted and IP addresses re-mapped, in the name of better alignment.

I'm going to type this in a whisper so as not to draw too much focus to it: In my current building, I am fortunate that I've only had to move about six times. Shhh! Keep that under your hat. What's a little bird poop on my window compared to moving offices again?

And in my six moves, I've either been on the first floor or the second floor (about 50/50 split).

The first floor is loud and busy. It is akin to (my Hollywood inspired image of) a Turkish bazaar. If you want to hear twenty minute, enthusiastic conversations about a coworker house-training their new shih tzu, this is the floor for you. Bonus: yelling down the hallway! OH, YES! YELLING HAPPENS A LOT WHILE PEOPLE KNOCK INTO EACH OTHER ON THEIR WAY TO MEETINGS!

Comparatively speaking, the second floor is a Zen Spa. Okay, no candles or incense but I don't think anyone would complain or be surprised if there were. It's so nice and quiet. It's low-key. People only come up to the second floor if they have to, and often they don't have to, so it's not that busy. The people on the second floor are respectful of each other. They are polite and pleasant.

And then there's this:

This is what you find nine times out of ten in the second floor ladies room. The last person to dry their hands has extended the paper towel roll for the next person. They're paying it forward. It's such a little thing and yet it makes me smile every time I see it.

The second floor is my little slice of office utopia. Ommmm...

[Notice how I resisted breaking into One Tin Soldier? That's because I'm at one with the universe. You, too, can resist breaking into really bad songs. Come toward the light...]

12 comments:

Jamie said...

As long as you don't find yourself in the basement mumbling about your stapler...

AbbotOfUnreason said...

Eww. All the bathroom germs getting onto the exposed paper.

Mike said...

When all is lost and the company doesn't know what to do next - reorganize. It's the perfect excuse for doing nothing. Sorry, can't help you now, we're in the middle of a reorganization.

Barbara said...

I always had this idea there was a staff dedicated to moving people around that had to be kept busy. I can't even begin to count how many offices I occupied in the same agency over a 35-year period. The only good thing about moving periodically is it makes you throw things away. You really don't want to have much left by the time you walk out the door for the last time.

Hope you continue to live on the second floor!

Sean said...

Which floor features Christmas candy canes?

G said...

In my line of business you most often have just one floor, so they move you to another building. If you get moved to a building built before 1950, it is their way of saying you are not valued. Such buildings have no A/C, with the exception of the principal's office, and many kids who are completely fucked.

Anonymous said...

My office is the same way but all on one floor. The "main office" is really loud and noisy and I'd kill myself (or someone else) if I ever had to sit over there. My side of the office or as we call it "the outcast office" is quiet, the people are nice, we get to avoid the drama. Sure, we have cubicles, but I'd rather have a drama free cubicle than a soap opera office any day.

Gilahi said...

What's wrong with "One Tin Soldier"? For that matter, what's wrong with "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"?

Reya Mellicker said...

Six times? (I'm whispering, too.) YIKES! I wonder who decides that offices must be shuffled on such a regular basis. Is it a scientific feng shui thingie? Bizarre!

Bilbo said...

We don't really physically change offices very much, but we reorganize and change office symbols about every four months. I think it's a full-employment plan for people who draw organization charts.

vw - prolyel: one who has advanced beyond the amateur lyel level.

fiona said...

I'm with Gilahi on the singing peoples popular front!
YOU can just hummmmmm - mantra

lacochran said...

Jamie: And I said, I don't care if they lay me off either, because I told, I told Bill that if they move my desk one more time, then, then I'm, I'm quitting, I'm going to quit. And, and I told Don too, because they've moved my desk four times already this year, and I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire...

AbbotofUnreason: Only you would think of that.

Mike: Works for me.

Barbara: I do try to lighten my load each time. Thanks!

Sean: Erm, the second. But we'll just ignore that part, hm?

G: Here's hoping you get moved to a good building.

liferehab: "I'd rather have a drama free cubicle than a soap opera office any day." Amen!

Gilahi, fiona: It sucks? Well, One Tin Soldier does. The Coke jingle is okay. *begins to hum it*

Reya Mellicker: Could be. Agreed!

Bilbo: Here's hoping you get a symbol that works for you.