Cubicle Wars
Well here I go, blogging about work already.
So, there's a cubicle war going on at work right now. I'm more of a NATO observer than a soldier at the moment but I have played a small part in the escalation.
I work in a cubicle. By most standards, I have a nice cubicle as I have a window. Most of my co-workers do not - which is typical of any cubicle structure.
Now, I'm not new to the team but I am partnered with the "new guy" who is friends with some of the people on the split part of our team, having worked with them at a different job some years ago. Quickly described, I'm part of a large team but our team supports 2 areas of the hospital. I'm part of a 2 person team that supports one area and my coworkers manage the other. Now I will have to pick a side one day and as such, Periop is who I have to declare my loyalty. He is my partner afterall. But this makes the sides very uneven and at some point, we're just going to have to play dirty to win.
Anyway, as Periop is getting to know the team, certain people have felt obligated to make him feel more comfortable in his cubicle. And as such, the cubicle war has begun.
A cubicle war, for those lucky enough not to work in Dilberts world, is where sabotage or decorating occurs in one's cubicle when the owner has stepped out, gone home for the day or basically, not around to witness who did the deed.
It started one day with a sign tacked to the outside of his cubicle. "This exhibit is now Closed".
A day later, another sign appeared: "Quiet! Analyst sleeping!"
By the second sign, the culprit was found out and the name on the cubicle changed to "The Princess", followed by a lanyard declaring such affection. Now, that may seem tame but it continued to escalate. Jackets had sleeves closed with elastics (every try putting on a jacket when both arms get stuck mid-sleeve - *snicker*), plants got roped around the "door" entrance with more signs (Don't poke the bear - he bites), emails got send out on behalf on absentee (who foolishly didn't lock their pc) to lunch on them with many accepting, etc...
I added to the mix by randomly adding signs to cubicles to increase the battlefield. I felt adding pictures and assigning nicknames to people helped to increase the war effort. Although its come out that I'm involved, I have avoided all sabotage so far. Periop seems to be the target of choice at the moment, which is acceptable but I'm bound to be hit in the cross fire - he does sit next to me.
The last act of sabotage was a sign about washing one's hands to fight germs. It also came with a button that was sticky with anti-bacterial soap (we think). On top of the cubicle wall was a pump action bottle of anti-bacterial soap too. It proudly remains in place until the counter measure is played. Which should be soon.
And people who describe cubicles as locations for the most Minesweeper and Solitaire activity than any other place in the entire world... don't know what they are missing.
Well here I go, blogging about work already.
So, there's a cubicle war going on at work right now. I'm more of a NATO observer than a soldier at the moment but I have played a small part in the escalation.
I work in a cubicle. By most standards, I have a nice cubicle as I have a window. Most of my co-workers do not - which is typical of any cubicle structure.
Now, I'm not new to the team but I am partnered with the "new guy" who is friends with some of the people on the split part of our team, having worked with them at a different job some years ago. Quickly described, I'm part of a large team but our team supports 2 areas of the hospital. I'm part of a 2 person team that supports one area and my coworkers manage the other. Now I will have to pick a side one day and as such, Periop is who I have to declare my loyalty. He is my partner afterall. But this makes the sides very uneven and at some point, we're just going to have to play dirty to win.
Anyway, as Periop is getting to know the team, certain people have felt obligated to make him feel more comfortable in his cubicle. And as such, the cubicle war has begun.
A cubicle war, for those lucky enough not to work in Dilberts world, is where sabotage or decorating occurs in one's cubicle when the owner has stepped out, gone home for the day or basically, not around to witness who did the deed.
It started one day with a sign tacked to the outside of his cubicle. "This exhibit is now Closed".
A day later, another sign appeared: "Quiet! Analyst sleeping!"
By the second sign, the culprit was found out and the name on the cubicle changed to "The Princess", followed by a lanyard declaring such affection. Now, that may seem tame but it continued to escalate. Jackets had sleeves closed with elastics (every try putting on a jacket when both arms get stuck mid-sleeve - *snicker*), plants got roped around the "door" entrance with more signs (Don't poke the bear - he bites), emails got send out on behalf on absentee (who foolishly didn't lock their pc) to lunch on them with many accepting, etc...
I added to the mix by randomly adding signs to cubicles to increase the battlefield. I felt adding pictures and assigning nicknames to people helped to increase the war effort. Although its come out that I'm involved, I have avoided all sabotage so far. Periop seems to be the target of choice at the moment, which is acceptable but I'm bound to be hit in the cross fire - he does sit next to me.
The last act of sabotage was a sign about washing one's hands to fight germs. It also came with a button that was sticky with anti-bacterial soap (we think). On top of the cubicle wall was a pump action bottle of anti-bacterial soap too. It proudly remains in place until the counter measure is played. Which should be soon.
And people who describe cubicles as locations for the most Minesweeper and Solitaire activity than any other place in the entire world... don't know what they are missing.
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