The company I work for is considering moving my home office location into the center of the city instead, and it never fails to surprise me how much drama these kinds of changes create. People seem to get so comfortable in the workplace, that they forget that they work for the company, the company doesn't work for them.
There were talks from some of the upset people of quitting if this happens and from others, putting it to a vote.
This is not a democracy
I am no corporate stooge, but I do understand that the position I hold is not "my" job, it is theirs, I am just contracted to do the work - paid to do the work, under a contract that I have agreed to. If I don't like the terms of the contract, I can negotiate a change and if I can't do that, I am free to leave, I am not a slave.
And I think that it is these kinds of dramas in the workplace that show how petty and entitled people have become, especially since the city we live in is small, the distance of the move about a handful of kilometers away and, the location we are in is not ideal for many, many people - whereas the city location would benefit from complete access from surrounding areas by public transport.
People don't like change.
Rather than soaking in the information and letting the emotions settle, they let the visceral reactions take over and respond from an unstable position, which are rarely the best tactical decisions. Things like "I will quit if…" without thinking that while that is an option, does that mean that their next job will be found in the same location as we are now, are they that tied to this out of the way suburb?
It is the reaction of a child.
And we likely all feel this way sometimes and probably react this way too, but are tantrums and threats the best way to get what we want. At least in my own household, tantrums get no one anywhere, nor do threats. If anything, they throw up more resistance for any potential for negotiation.
Yet, in the workplace, some people seem to not consider their behaviors, as if they are not responsible for their and emotional outbursts. But, this doesn't stop it affecting the opinions of people around them and when someone exhibits a lack of emotional control, trust is lost - because it demonstrates they are unpredictable, that they have to be tiptoed around emotionally, making people more guarded and less transparent around them.
The workplace is a brilliant environment to observe all kinds of behaviors - from the best in us, to the worst in us and, we likely all have our good and bad days where we are leaning more one way than the other. However, it is also a place where we are incentivized to practice self-control as it affects our professional relationships.
I have had several conversations with people over the years who have noted that often, work gets "the best of us", where we are on better behavior protocols that we do not use when we are at home with the people we actually care about, and care about us. I think this is generally true, but it does raise the question.
If these people are erupting at work over these kinds of things, what are they like at home?
Well, I am glad I don't have to live with them.
I don't mind moving the office to the city, as while it will be in some ways less convenient, it does give some different options for lunch. There are always bright sides.
Taraz
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