The work paradox
Allow me to hijack my personal blog for a minute to talk about work. As you know, I work as a cubicle monkey in a standard-issue office with all the frills and accoutrements of any office that you might find anywhere in the country – blah-colored cube walls, lots of coworkers and bosses all packed together like sardines, coffee machines, water coolers, etc. My office also contains an unbelievable amount of noise and distractions – emails constantly popping into my inbox, phone ringing off the hook, receptionist paging me when I don’t answer the phone, coworkers chatting on their way to get coffee, bosses throwing work at me, coworkers asking me to give them work, conference calls, meetings, presentations, and the absolutely unavoidable bump-into-a-coworker-in-the-hallway-and-have-to-chat-with-them-for-20-minutes-about-their-recent-vacation. Ahhhh! The situation has escalated to the point where I have made the following sad but true conclusion:
It is absolutely impossible to actually get any work done at work.
Lately I’ve been working up against a deadline, and I’ve found that the only time I can make any progress is really early in the morning (before everyone gets in), really late at night (after everyone leaves), or over the weekend. During normal business hours, all I do is run around like a chicken with its head cut off answering emails, answering phone calls, coordinating work, reviewing work, getting work, distributing work, and making sure I keep all the balls in motion. But I never actually *do* any of my own work! WTF?????
This poses a big problem for me as my deadline approaches and nothing is getting done. I went into the office this weekend and have been getting in early/staying late this week in order to actually make some progress. It’s just so amazingly frustrating that my normal 8 hours a day are completely stolen from me as my coworkers are constantly harassing me with random shit that I don’t have time for! Aaarrrggghhhh!!!!! Leave me alone, peeps!
I realize that all this email-answering, coordination, and work distribution are part of my job, but dudes, if my boss expects me to concentrate and do actual, technical work on top of this, he’s gotta lighten my load in other areas. That, or let me work from home in my nice quiet bubble.Â
Ahhhh, I’m just so aggravated with this situation. I have enough bullshit in my life, and I don’t need any more at work! *grumbles*
Hope all you cubicle monkeys out there can be a little more productive than I can. : )
Small tip, get a pair of headphones.
You don’t actually have to listen to music (!)
Simply by wearing them you’re putting up a “do not disturb unless you really have to” sign.
Tony’s last blog post..Open Mics
June 17th, 2009 at 2:43 amI commonly said “I’m going home so I can get some work done,” at my old office.
Headphones never helped for me: when they need something, said coworker will just stand there, grin and wave at you until you take them off.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:50 amI’ve had the same damn problem. And like you, I worked early mornings and weekends. The only problem was the bosses started expecting that.
UGh!
=)
Gray’s last blog post..Unable to move.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:01 amHoney’s last blog post..Crummy Weekend
June 17th, 2009 at 11:28 amRead The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. The first few chapters will have some great insight into what you can do to become more productive.
Hammer’s last blog post..Are You Your Dream Girl’s Dream Guy?
June 17th, 2009 at 2:34 pmHammer beatt me to suggesting “The 4 Hour Work Week”. I too find that in a 9-10 hour day I only do about 3 hours of “real” work. The rest of it is crap.
I have started self-prioritizing e-mails that I respond to, and only check the mail every half hour unless I am expecting something. That way I don’t stop in the middle of something for an e-mail unless I know it is something I am waiting for. I don’t even look at one co-worker’s e-mails because everything he sends he sends marked “High Priority” even if its just finding out where people are going to lunch. I’m sorry, but low-level peons like us don’t need “High Priority” status on our e-mails. I work 10 steps from my adviser’s office, and if it is really that Hell fire important, I’ll walk over there, not send an email.
I am slowly talking my adviser into letting me work at home and only be in when I need to be there for meetings. I get a lot more done on my back porch with my stereo and a cigar than in lab.
June 18th, 2009 at 12:17 pm