By Lee Ann McGillivray
Or why you shouldn’t make yourself at home at work – at least not too much... How much personal stuff do you currently have in your office, desk, cubby, or locker? And how long do you think it would take you to clear it out? And why do I ask?
I’ve always firmly believed that you should be able to leave your workplace – with all your belongings, of course – in less than five minutes. Not in case of fire – in case of fired. You being fired, that is. Or let go. Or downsized. Or for that day when Bob finally pushes you too far in the weekly meeting and, with a resounding, “I quit!” you dramatically make your exit. It won’t be that dramatic if you have to slink to the maintenance closet searching for a box to pack up your tea-stained mug, your half-used lip balm, your extra shoes, your poster of the “Hang In There” cat, and more.
But being able to have a dramatic exit is not the only reason for keeping personal clutter in the workplace to a minimum. The amount of “stuff” (e.g., pictures of loved ones, silly pens, shoes, etc.) one keeps in the workplace is a good indication of that person’s level of comfort. And I believe that it’s not a good idea to get too comfortable too quickly.
I’m amazed when I see new staff members “set up house” on their very first day. I want to say to them, “Shouldn’t you be more concerned with how to do the job, and less concerned with personalizing your computer’s wallpaper, flipping through the supply catalogue, or trying to organizing your desk ‘just so’?” For example, I remember one new person who spent his first two days on the job ordering a new chair (huh!?), a new desk (double huh!?!?), and all sorts of new office supplies – and it should be said that none of this was necessary because there was a perfectly good desk and chair available to him, as well as a fully stocked supply closet. Not surprisingly, he was let go on his third day.
To me, this early (and premature) comfort level indicates an absence of fear. And I believe that to achieve great things in the workplace, you need to have at least a little fear, such as fear of failure, fear of embarrassing yourself, or fear of being fired. Some people call this “positive stress” or “eustress” – I simply call it “The Fear.”
Take me, for example. I’ve worked with the same boss for more than five years, and I think I can safely say that we have a great relationship. And I have my collection of personal items in my office and on my desk. But I still have a little bit of The Fear. It’s not fear that I am going to be fired or downsized (although I never rule that out entirely!), instead I fear that I’m not going to meet expectations, which will not only disappoint my boss, but embarrass me. Having The Fear motivates me to work my hardest and perform my best.
So bring in your favorite mug, picture of Fluffy, change of shoes, and even your rubber chicken, but if it takes you more than five minutes to pack up, I think you may be at risk for feeling complacent, rather than comfortable in your workplace.
