Office drones, I have a question

[DGuller]

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.

That's pretty much exactly what my thoughts were regarding those two questions.

[Grey Fox]

This thread should be labelled the opposite of NSFW.

NNSFW?

[lustindarkness]

If a client calls I will enjoy the oportunity to ignore the boss at my cubicle.

[Berkut]

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.

I am saying that there is no way I am getting slighted by you taking a call while I am talking to you, unless you display some kind of consistent and persistent complete lack of consideration.

If I am talking to you, and your phone rings, and you answer it adn tell me you will get back to me, I am going to assume you have good reason. If nothing else, me getting offended does me no good anyway, so why should I bother being offended?

Where I work, we drop by one anothers cubes or offices all the damn time. And there is, IMO, a pretty decent understanding that nobody is going to worry about crap like who is offending who. If I walk up to someones cube and they are in a conversation with someone else, I may even interrupt if it is clear they are just shooting the shit (even work related) and I have something important I need to ask one of them. And the response to my "Is it ok if I interrupt?" is almost always "Oh yeah, we are just talking about <whatever>, what do you need?" and likely as not all three of us will discuss whatever it is that brought me over in the first place.

[Berkut]

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.

That's pretty much exactly what my thoughts were regarding those two questions.

I tend to agree as well, and note that my own position is not in opposition to this - more about how people should feel when someone is being "blown off".

However, I work in the IT industry, and I think there is a lot less weight given to formal hierarchies than there is any many industries. I have no problem interrupting my boss for example, or even his boss - there is much more of a approachable/equal weight sort of culture.

What is odd is the ceiling on this though - you get high enough up above my level that the people involved are no longer really IT, and that disappears, and from what I can tell there is a lot more politicizing and normal "office politics" going on.

We just had a huge shake up in fact, and now if you go two level up from me, that person doesn't even really have a IT background. I wonder if that means our friendly little world is going to change...

[Barrister]

I'm in a fairly formal field, with a very strict power distinction within the office (between lawyers and non-lawyers).  But people have answered the phone when I was talking to them frequently - and they've let calls go to voicemail frequently.

It's all context-specific.  How important is the conversation we're having (serious discussion of trial going on right now, or just wondering about a sentencing position on shoplifting).  Does the person know who is calling?  Are they waiting for a call?

You'd usually get a "sorry, I need to get this - can I come talk to you later", or a "let me see who it is and get them to call back", but even then not always as it is clearly implied.

In short, life's to short to worry about this kind of petty stuff.

[crazy canuck]

We just had a huge shake up in fact, and now if you go two level up from me, that person doesn't even really have a IT background. I wonder if that means our friendly little world is going to change...

My advice is dont tell him that his requirement that you not pick up the phone when he is talking to you is just about ego...

[Berkut]

We just had a huge shake up in fact, and now if you go two level up from me, that person doesn't even really have a IT background. I wonder if that means our friendly little world is going to change...

My advice is dont tell him that his requirement that you not pick up the phone when he is talking to you is just about ego...

I wouldn't pick up the phone while he was talking to me though, unless I knew it was something rather important.

I think I said that back in my very first post.

However, if I *did* pick up the phone while he was talking to me because there WAS something important, and he started pouting about it, then I would most certainly think "Wow, what a tender little ego that guy has..."

[Berkut]

In short, life's to short to worry about this kind of petty stuff.

And what is more - life is too short to get offended by other people, even if they are doing something that convention considers offensive.

What is the net effect to you of letting someone else piss you off? *You* are pissed off and unhappy! Not them!

So why get pissed off to begin with?

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure most of us hadn't thought about this before this thread brought it up.

I rather we talk about curling, it's true.

[Barrister]

I'm sure most of us hadn't thought about this before this thread brought it up.

I rather we talk about curling, it's true.

The Brier starts on Saturday.

Its odd - I just checked and Martin isn't in it (although it also makes some sense - awful hard to turn around from the Olympics to Brier in 7 days).

But it makes for a wide open field.  Could it be Jeff Stoughton from Manitoba? 

[The Brain]

In short, life's to short to worry about this kind of petty stuff.

But not to worry about worrying about this petty stuff, apparently.

[crazy canuck]

We just had a huge shake up in fact, and now if you go two level up from me, that person doesn't even really have a IT background. I wonder if that means our friendly little world is going to change...

My advice is dont tell him that his requirement that you not pick up the phone when he is talking to you is just about ego...

I wouldn't pick up the phone while he was talking to me though, unless I knew it was something rather important.

I think I said that back in my very first post.

However, if I *did* pick up the phone while he was talking to me because there WAS something important, and he started pouting about it, then I would most certainly think "Wow, what a tender little ego that guy has..."

Have fun finding another job.  If some boss that you rarely see actually comes into your office to tell you something you better not take that call.

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure most of us hadn't thought about this before this thread brought it up.

I rather we talk about curling, it's true.

The Brier starts on Saturday.

Its odd - I just checked and Martin isn't in it (although it also makes some sense - awful hard to turn around from the Olympics to Brier in 7 days).

But it makes for a wide open field.  Could it be Jeff Stoughton from Manitoba? 

I can't believe the Brier as Monsanto as a sponsor. If evil companies are remotely possible, Monsanto is the freaking flag bearer.

[frunk]

Have fun finding another job.  If some boss that you rarely see actually comes into your office to tell you something you better not take that call.

I wouldn't have a problem with that, as I'd prefer to not work for someone who's strung so tight.