Need A Few Post-Its Around The Office? 393
An anonymous reader writes "Like every company, we have an office prankster. So, whenever anything goes wrong -- say, your chair starts making unusual noises or your CD tray starts popping out for no reason, invariably you'll look up and see Dave, our esteemed leader, grinning foolishly at his handywork. So really, Damon shouldn't have been surprised when he came into the office one otherwise-normal Monday morning to find this. Nor should James have been surprised when he showed up early one morning to this birthday surprise. It certainly keeps us on our toes." Ah, the joys of not telecommuting ...
Re:Time on your hands (Score:5, Insightful)
2) A good manager sees the value of good clean fun, and knows that it can be a morale booster in moderation. Happy workers == productive workers.
Re:Time on your hands (Score:5, Insightful)
Bosses who don't allow it usually find themselves with companies that fail. Sure, workers should be productive, but if you as an employer try and make the workplace into something too rigid and constraining, your employees will be demoralized and will not function as well as in a more relaxed enviroment. I know that you might be thinking of a company which is at the other end of the spectrum - where very little work is done, and it's true that that is not a desirable situation. The truth is, though, that the optimum level lies somewhere inbetween.
You have to allow a certain amount of goofing around, you have to arrange company braais (BBQs for you American folks), go-karting, bowling, golf, horse-riding, etc. What you want is for your employees to get along with you and with eachother. If you don't allow that to happen, your employees will either not care about what they are supposed to be doing, or try in vain to do what they are supposed to be doing in an enviroment that they hate. Noone wins.
Now a whole lot of people will say: "But the employer has the power! They can outsource! Your job is not safe! As an employee you have no right to complain!". That's true, to a certain extent. But remember: If an employer was thinking of outsourcing, it probably wouldn't make a difference how well you were or were not performing, the key factor to companies that outsource is saving money and increasing profit margins at all costs. They will learn in time that quality products do make a difference, however, and will be back at square one. I've dealt with outsourcing first hand, and there are pros and cons to it, like with anything. In reality, what most companies will probably end up doing is outsourcing things that make sense to outsource, and bring things that make little sense to outsource back to the physical office. So that "but you'll be outsourced" argument goes out the window.
As for people having no right to complain and being forced to be happy that they have a job at all, this might be true for a lot of people in the current economy, but it still doesn't mean that slave-driving will produce good results. You'll end up with an employee-base that really hates working at the company, and every time you fire someone and get someone new in, the same thing will happen. They will start detesting their working conditions and perhaps even deliberately go on go-slows or worse.
Both employers and employees have to find a balance in the work enviroment. Employees must understand that they can't party at work and goof off for 6 hours a day, and employers must understand that trying to impose draconian rules and policies will not benefit them in the long run.
Another David Brent (Score:2, Insightful)
Building morale is one thing, annoying others for your own entertainment is another.
Refreshing change. (Score:5, Insightful)
This is one of those drinks, well story, that puts a smile on your face.
With all the cr*p that goes on in the world, it is great to see that there are people who get the job done but also have a good laugh doing so. People are too serious. It's good to have practical jokes and people that appreciate them for there good clean simply fun
Good choice on story.
Re:Another David Brent (Score:5, Insightful)
I vote yes.
For a colleagues farewell I once had all 6 external auditors blowing balloons to fill his office to the roof. We then over-decorated the entire floor. Sure we was embarrassed (marginally) but the entire staff had a great time and the target was flattered we went to the effort.
Unfortunately I had to work all weekend to meet board schedules!
Repeat after me, harmless office pranks build teams! - They also build relationships
You Bastard (Score:5, Insightful)
I must confess that when I visited my American colleagues I was, to put it mildly, nonplussed by their relaxed attitude to actually doing any f'ing work at all while at the office. They have a nice canteen, great Internet access, big cubicles, we had to book ahead for lunch at the local restaurants... AND
No wonder we get the contracts. And six weeks off a year.
Priceless... (Score:5, Insightful)
Case of Post-It notes to plaster office: $74 [officedepot.com]
650 Ballons for birthday prank: $55 [e-latexballoons.com]
1 air pump: $20/day rental [balloonlady.co.uk]
Advertising one last fun place to work to a million potential candidates on
Seriously though, it great to see that there are cool places to work still. One more sign of the IT recovery @!
Well, some people don't mind practical jokes.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe I'm the only guy on slashdot to feel this way but shit like that would just annoy me.
I've had a few jobs where there was strong office comraderie like that, but in general, I think I prefer a slightly more conservative set of relationships in the workplace even if it comes at the expense of office morale.
I'm not suggesting that things should be sterile. I do, however, think one's workspace should be respected.
Mr Party Pooper
Re:Careful -- This one might land you in court ... (Score:0, Insightful)
Think it through, putz.
Imagine your manager had slipped. Imagine he'd taken her at face value. So that's either 1) a sexual harrassment suit or 2) a broken family.
Way to practical joke!
And here I was thinking the key is that no-one gets hurt, or has the potential to get hurt...
You're not funny, and you're not too smart either.
Re:Time on your hands (Score:3, Insightful)
I find that the ol' gun to the head makes my employees much more productive
Hey! Do you work for AT&T [theregister.co.uk] as well?
Re:People have tooo much time on their hands.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Uh-hu.
A friend and I (Score:4, Insightful)
Book on depression in the library, no problem. We took a post-it with a smily, wrote under it don't worry be happy, and stuffed it somewhere in the middle.
Hell, I'm sure there are still post-its from us in some of the books that were covered under and inch of dust when we got there, let alone now.
Yes, the devious things you can do with post-its when you're bored.
Re:People have tooo much time on their hands.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Actually, she's just part of the morale problem there. Everyone at work hated the place, hated the management, and were beginning to hate their jobs. Those who could, quit. Those who couldn't quit, got outsourced. The rest just suffer.
What a miserable and insufferable place to work.
Prime example of bad balance and bad morale (Score:5, Insightful)
We got a memo with weirdly over-specific instructions for how to live in our offices several weeks back. It included several bullet points like this:
And so on. This memo's content was completely ignored by everyone, but it's had its bad effect anyway. After we got it, people sat around talking incredulously about the thing, spending untold hours of company time just bellyaching about it. The thought of those on high in this massive company spending time writing and approving stuff like that is just utterly despiriting.
Re:You Bastard (Score:5, Insightful)
So you are that boring bastard that no one talks to at the Christmas party
lighten up!!!
On a more serious side of things this kind of activity (if not taken to far) actually brings the employees closer together so that when it comes crunch time (IE dead line approaching or server dieing in the ass) they work far better together and are less likely to kill each other. It also makes managers more approachable thus allowing incouraging the flow of good ideas that otherwise would not have made it.
Re:Refreshing change. (Score:2, Insightful)
It's good clean fun and sadly, you will always fail to understand the benefits of such an environment. There's a lot to be gained by making work fun. Do you wake up every morning happy to be going in to work, happy to see all of your coworkers, happy to work for your employer? These guys probably do and as a result, they'll work harder and put in more hours when necessary. Their employer and coworkers become an extended family that they are willing to make sacrifices for. Ultimately, these kind of harmless pranks do help things, as long as the management is able to keep things in check and remind the employees what their real job is.
Life is too short to be in a boring job working with people you hate. You should always try to have fun when you can, otherwise you might as well just kill yourself now.
Re:You Bastard (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:No wonder... (Score:3, Insightful)
I thought more likely "anonymously sumbit a story linking to your corporate site selling web software and get loads of free publicity".
Re:Mod parent up pls (Score:1, Insightful)
Work should be something you enjoy going to. You know, waking up every morning thankful its a work day.
Work should be something you enjoy doing and take pride in it. You know, I love programming or I love making money by trading on the market, or I love teaching children, or I love working hard building a skyscraper.
Work should be fun. You know, programming is fun, working outside is fun, the people at work make my boring ass job fun.
Ever hear "work hard, play hard"? Work should be exactly like that. People at work should still work hard, but remember to play hard as well. Now we know that in most places, this is not the case, but we should be striving to change that. We should be trying to make work fun... it's a truly enlightened way of life. Take it from someone who has worked in both situations. It's just not worth it to work for a boring, restricting employer. Show me some studies that prove a fun corporate environment lessens productivity. Seriously. I want to see a carefully controlled study that takes into account an employee's work ethic in both environments.
Re:You Bastard (Score:5, Insightful)
Look, if you're like most people, you spend the majority of your waking hours on work or work-related activities (e.g. your commute). Are you really comfortable with just completely turning off the social, playful side of your being for all of that time? I have plenty of social activity outside of work, but that doesn't mean I don't care to be friends with my coworkers or occasionally have some fun with them, as well.
If you think you "play hard", chances are you don't really play at all. Invariably I've found that people who engage in macho posturing about "playing hard" to not understand the point of play at all. It's supposed to be fun. You're not supposed to take it so seriously.
Office humor II (Score:2, Insightful)
This same group of coworkers goes out for lunch all the time, and the one's wedding was coming up quickly. So, I prepared a security bulletin that I distributed to their mailboxes the night before.
Our company is very security conscious (being a defense contractor) so I played up that angle. Basically, the bulletin said that inter-employee meetings were prohibited outside of the office unless the appropriate forms were filed which might indicate the need of security personnel being assigned to oversee the meeting. Unexpected meetings had to be submitted to security by means of an audio recording. Unrecorded meetings had to be reported, and possibly followed up with interviews.
I didn't really expect to get anyone, but I did; he found the notice in his mailbox and assumed it had been there a few days, so he sent out an e-mail to all of us bringing it up; he propagated my joke without me having to do anything. They figured it out pretty quickly since I included a number of subtle clues that it was fake (didn't want to get in trouble) but everyone still enjoyed it.
Re:No wonder... (Score:5, Insightful)
"I have 10 employees, all of them very capable and qualified, hard working, loyal. Many have been with me 10 years. None of them has tried to start their own company, although I would say at least 3 of them are capable of doing so, and perhaps even out-competing me in the marketplace."
They don't do that. Why not?
I am willing to bet that in your country, you spend part of your 6 weeks off planning how you will branch out on your own -- and those who can probably will eventually.
There is more to work than a paycheck, for many, many people. Given good options (like a fun, supportive and professional environment -- pranks and all), not everyone is looking for the next great opportunity.
Treat your colleagues with dignity, respect, and genuine friendship, and you may be surprised how fulfilling it is to work together year after year.
Re:You Bastard (Score:5, Insightful)
Why do you go on living? Seriously. A man is not measured by the hours he works, or the deadlines he meets, or by the money he makes, but by the relationships he forms and the affect he has on the people around him. When you're dying and thinking about your life, what will you say? I'm glad I hit that deadline! That makes it ok that my children ignore me and I have no friends!
Competitive culture (Score:5, Insightful)
You get time outside of work?
Seriously though.
Here in the US, I'd say I've never seen this prankster phenomenon except in places characterized by many if not all of the following factors:
(1) Predominance of bright creative people.
(2) Creativity is a core value; breaking expected norms is an expected norm.
(3) Egalitarian businss culture emphasizing and things done over managerial hierarchy and perogatives.
(4) Main hierarchy is not managerial, but brainpower pecking order with intense competition to establish superiority.
(5) High intensity, pressure cooker atmosphere with long hours; people need to blow of steam.
In other words if I heard these kinds of hijinks were going on at a competitor, I'd take them very seriously rather than dismissing them as a bunch of goof offs. If you go head to head with them, you just might be facing a bunch of hard driving high IQ workaholics who think outside the box, and have both team cohesiveness and the flexibility to self-organize in novel ways to solve problems. In other words a competitive nightmare. Since in programming work (for example) there is easily a ten fold if not greater difference between the best teams and the mediocre ones, having a three or fourfold difference in compensation might not be enough to avoid getting squashed like a bug.
Then again, they might just be a bunch of immature goof offs with managers who are asleep at the switch. Paging Dr. Von Neumann: which assumption miminizes our maximum loss?
Culturally speaking, there's different ways to get things done. Having a little fun doesn't hurt.