The Band Plays On

When things don't go well it's interesting to watch how the office reacts. Human nature is very predictable. As I write this our sales have hit a slump. It's during times like these that you see what happens in an office. Real stress comes in the face of uncertainty. Oh you may put in long hours, or have lots to do. But true character comes when you are faced with situations where our survival mechanism kicks in.
Back when I was an undergraduate I used to work on campus where they had Network Services Department. We had students come in with problems related to e-mail or connectivity in their dorms.

Now we also had a law school on the campus that was for the most part a separate entity. However we would get students in from time to time and it would only take me a moment to have you pegged as a law student. My observation is that Law School does its best to bring out the worst (or at least amplify aggressive character traits) because of the immense competition and pressure. My friends would tell me stories of underhanded things students would do to bring someone down in rankings so that they would place higher in the class. One of my friends had his textbooks stolen in class and resold that day, pages in books at the law library would be torn out for certain assignments, people would lie to each other, etc. If you survived this environment it very well would change you. You would become more visibly defensive, arrogant and intolerant. All of this would be apparent when they talked to you. These experiences contributed some to my decision to veer more towards computers than law.

But these stressful elements are a great way to see people's reaction and character in a rare opportunity you wouldn't normally gather. Use these opportunities to study them and learn. You may be surprised even how you react to them.

Book of iT

I have come back from the wilderness and it is time for me to impart to you a reading from the Book of iT. May you treasure its timeless wisdom.

Update 25:17

The Box of the Power User is beset on all sides by the inequities of the features and bugs of windows code. Proficient is he who in the name of user friendliness and goodwill ushers the newbie through the valley of Redmond. For he is truly his fellow's coworker and the finder of lost data. And I will strike with class action and furious lawsuits those who would attempt to spam and exploit my users. And you will know that I am the ADMIN when I lay my upgrade upon thee!

./Amen

Office Politik Part 2

Wow talk about a break from blogging. I vowed to return and complete this piece and then I forgot. Ooops. Here are some more personalities:

The Herald

One of the most dangerous types to associate with. They usually have the ear of upper management. They are reviled for their constant brown nosing but they will get their way. Typically this person will paint themselves into a corner in the way they treat other people only to completely change later. Getting them onboard with your agenda will help you to fastrack it.

The Workhorse

"If you want something done give it to a busy person." The workhorse is the person in the office that has no agenda and constantly ends up implementing someone else's. They often have lots of credibility and are viewed as neutral. Workhorses have yet to develop the cynical nature of the Veteran or they choose not to let it bother them. Making friends with the workhorse has the potential to shield you in the event you have a problem and they were involved.

Office Politik

We have had several new positions here at the office that just got filled recently. One of the things that continues to fascinate me is the interaction between the new staff and their new environment. It's almost like watching a child as it looks around not sure what to make of everything. So much attention is showered and absorbed that like the child the new employee feels like it is safe and nurtured. That is of course till they realize how everything works.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from friends amd colleagues is the drama and politics they have to deal with at their job. To some extent these problems exist because they did not take an initial interest in the personalities and agendas that existed before them. I find office politics particularly interesting myself. Much of the frustration comes when you are on the losing end of an agenda. But given the chance to join the fray you too can realize and enjoy participating in the process. If you are just starting somewhere its crucial you identify several key people and strategies or you may find that the job you signed up for is not the one you truly wanted in the first place. Depending on the size of your organization you may have several or one of the following types of personalities that you deal with. I know for sure we have them at my office.

The Source
This person is the information broker of the company. Chances are if there was a meeting this person knows what was said. They love tapping into information and are very plugged in. Most likely this person is very open about what they know and as such may not be considered trustworthy or safe to talk too. Nevertheless whenever you start this is one of the first people you should tap in to find out what agendas there are. Even if it comes with their personal bias it gives you a head start in making sure to avoid gaffes and figuring out the lay of the land. It will probably cost you some information down the road but make sure you are discreet. Allying yourself with a source can be risky as they are often viewed negatively as gossips.

The Pleaser
This is one of those people who for the most part remain clueless about the swath of competing agendas that whirl in the office. They are for the most part positive and optimistic but are usually more social than efficient. Upper management doesn't look to favorably on this type but will praise the good attitude publicly. This person will not get promoted and usually has been around longer than most. These are usually some of the first people who will want to be your friend when you come aboard.

The Veteran
They have a long history with the company. They have seen them come and go. Many veterans for the most part cynical or sarcastic but they were probably not that way originally. The veteran usually has seniority but is not always in a position of authority. A majority are content with a status quo and have absolutely no expectations for anything better or new.

To be continued...

I'll have some more posted soon. Let me know if you have people like this in your office and if you have any good stories, please share.

A Blog is Born...

It seems everyone is throwing their blog hat into the ring nowadays. Not content with being just a blogaholic (is that even a word?) I just had to immortalize my rantings on the web. Even if it means a future of just being cached in a Google archive somewhere. I have a few thoughts of where I want to go with this (World domination ranks about #3). One is to entertain you the reader, but more importantly to have this blog serve as my own personal cathartic outlet =D.

iT managers have great stories, words of wisdom, good opinions but mainly just great stories. The sad thing is we don't all share them and we keep them bottled up. We all realize that we share the same problems of PEBKAC and evil managers. However I think that at some level we may think it's just us. Surely this can't happen at other companies. Well in the spirit of iT departments everywhere lets just agree it's not you, it really is THEIR fault and this is a place where we can share those ideas and stories. Well at least mine anyway. So don't be afraid to bookmark, I plan on being here for quite some time.