Office drones, I have a question

[Syt]

In my old company, when I wanted something from the boss/owner (usually clarifying something or getting a signature under something) and he was on the phone I usually stood and waited calmly. It might be five minutes or ten during which he would become increasingly nervous and irritated until he finally cut the call short. Fun times.

[grumbler]

There is certainly an ego component to this.  No one likes to be put on hold without an obviously good reason.  However, there is also just plain inconvenience.  You don't want to compete for someone's attention just to discuss work.

True, and there is an etiquette for these kinds of things as well.  If you have to interrupt a conversation to screen a call, say that this is what you are doing, rather than just saying "just a sec" or whatever.

To take a call while someone is standing in front of you without explaining why you are ignoring the person who has taken the time to see you in person is rude, without doubt.  To ominously suggest that no one even screen their calls when you are there is equally ego-maniacal, as is the concept that what one charges per hour determines one's importance.

[DGuller]

In my old company, when I wanted something from the boss/owner (usually clarifying something or getting a signature under something) and he was on the phone I usually stood and waited calmly. It might be five minutes or ten during which he would become increasingly nervous and irritated until he finally cut the call short. Fun times.

Is that why it's now your old company?

[The Larch]

In my old company, when I wanted something from the boss/owner (usually clarifying something or getting a signature under something) and he was on the phone I usually stood and waited calmly. It might be five minutes or ten during which he would become increasingly nervous and irritated until he finally cut the call short. Fun times.

Heh, I do the same to mine, I just stand by the doorstep of his office until he hangs. It's not unusual to form small gatherings of people, as all the big bosses' offices are nearby, and people usually do that.

[Syt]

Is that why it's now your old company?

Nah, my boss was sorry to see me go, because I also doubled as his personal assistant for some stuff (booking flights, translating letters and offers into English, print road maps - all that his "real" secretary was incompetent for).

I quit because I hate accounting.

[Grey Fox]

I do that too.

[The Larch]

Personally, while I have a phone at work, I rarely use it. It's the 21st century, send me an email.

For very busy people that's sometimes not an option, as emails may "drown" in their inbox.

[Syt]

Personally, while I have a phone at work, I rarely use it. It's the 21st century, send me an email.

For very busy people that's sometimes not an option, as emails may "drown" in their inbox.

That's more an issue of lacking email discipline: setting up rules/search folders that organize your emails, cc'ing everyone and their dog, sending too many video links or "funny mails" (fortunately not an issue at our office) etc etc.

If I want someone to have an email but not reply I usually cc them, because they'll ignore it and I can always say, "I sent it to you ... here's my sent copy". Never mind that 90% of people have no idea how to archive their emails when their inbox run over. I can show people what they wrote in 2007 which has saved me a number of times, while others search for hours, mumbling, "I thought I had saved it somewhere ..."

[grumbler]

That's more an issue of lacking email discipline: setting up rules/search folders that organize your emails, cc'ing everyone and their dog, sending too many video links or "funny mails" (fortunately not an issue at our office) etc etc.

If I want someone to have an email but not reply I usually cc them, because they'll ignore it and I can always say, "I sent it to you ... here's my sent copy". Never mind that 90% of people have no idea how to archive their emails when their inbox run over. I can show people what they wrote in 2007 which has saved me a number of times, while others search for hours, mumbling, "I thought I had saved it somewhere ..."

This is why "it's now your old company"! 

[Syt]

This is why "it's now your old company"! 

No, that's our current company, and an example of how we're worldwide market leader despite certain shortcomings.

[The Brain]

The question is about phone etiquette at work, in two different situations.

1)  Someone comes over to your cube/office, and you talk about work.  In the middle of talking, your work phone rings.  What do you do?

2)  You're talking on your cell phone, and someone comes over to your cube/office to talk work.  What do you do?

Does the answer to either question depend on the rank of someone talking to you?

My work phone is my cell phone is my home phone.

1. Generally answer unless the call is non-work related.

2. Generally gesture at him to wait unless the call is non-work related.

[Berkut]

If I am talking to someone and their phone rings, and they take it, what do I care? My ego is not tied up in whether or not they want to take a call while I am talking to them. If it is something important, they will get back to me. If it isn't they will get back to them. Either way...so what?

There is certainly an ego component to this.  No one likes to be put on hold without an obviously good reason.  However, there is also just plain inconvenience.  You don't want to compete for someone's attention just to discuss work.

True enough - but then, you are always competing for my attention, and vice versa.

Simple courtesy would dictate that I operate under the assumption that you won't blow me off without good reason, and I won't do it to you, and hence if you DO blow me off, I will assume there was a good reason, and not be offended.

The reason this is better is that then I don't ever have to feel like *I* am imposing by stopping by for a quick chat. The idea that people are going to be going around getting offended because I take a call, or someone is going to be offended because I *don't* take their call is way more hassle than the tender egos of those who care about this shit are worth, IMO.

[Jacob]

It depends wholly on the relationship of the people in question.

If a senior person is asking support staff who works there to, well, support them, then they're not answering any calls (barring emergencies) and they're ending whatever calls they're having unless it's crucial to support that person.

If it's two more or less equal colleagues - including an immediate supervisor in most professional workplaces - then whatever happens first takes precedence, assuming it's work related.  You don't answer the phone (unless it's something that's expected to be important) but you don't hang up on a call either (unless, of course, it's a private call).

Conversely, if you're the support staff interacting with someone senior, you don't get offended if they take a call during a talk or finish their conversation unless it's obviously frivolous; they have a lot of important things to deal with and they'll come to you in due time.  If they don't, the resultant failure is their responsibility and headache anyways.

[Delirium]

This thread should be labelled the opposite of NSFW.

[DGuller]

True enough - but then, you are always competing for my attention, and vice versa.

Simple courtesy would dictate that I operate under the assumption that you won't blow me off without good reason, and I won't do it to you, and hence if you DO blow me off, I will assume there was a good reason, and not be offended.

The reason this is better is that then I don't ever have to feel like *I* am imposing by stopping by for a quick chat. The idea that people are going to be going around getting offended because I take a call, or someone is going to be offended because I *don't* take their call is way more hassle than the tender egos of those who care about this shit are worth, IMO.

For simplicity, let's assume that we're talking about regular behavior (which is part of the reason for me starting this thread).  I'm sure most people are adults enough to dismiss an occasional action that can be regarded as a slight, and assume there was some reason for it.