To Office-goers: What is your workplace ecosystem like?

Healthier, Happier Workplaces are Small but Beautifully Managed

This question is relevant for anyone who does not have the luxury of working from home – something that I, personally don't count a blessing as huge some folks make us believe. Working from home has totally different dynamics. The reason lies in the office culture, the infrastructure, the people fueling daily interactions and the type of decision-makers that are found at every contemporary workplace. Closing-in on the question – what really is a good workplace environment? Does the presence of a great snack stand or awesome lattes throughout the day mean you are privileged as an employee? There is limited help out there if you want to evaluate your organizational culture, most information found online often heavily manipulated. The answers have to come from you and me...


Figure Out Your Workplace Category: Defining Workspaces

Does the freedom to chat throughout the day or text on your phone means invaluable liberties? I believe that there are no parameters in this regard as personal preferences can be very different. Some people might love the structure that comes with the office life while some might despise the sense of control or decorum the workplace tries to create for maximum productivity. Please comment, sharing what is your office like—the love-hate relationship is understandable, but overall how is it treating you?

My categorization for office spaces is:

• Plain ugly: the aesthetics are absent but functionally, things work
• Has Potential: carries some serious promise of getting better
• Legacy space: has too much history, some adorable, the rest overwhelming and boring
• Progressive: puts a premium on the quality of work done
• Mutually beneficial: provides the best work-life balance
• Pain-in-the-arse: overwhelmed by petty policies and politics
• Stopover: serves as a filler until employees find a new, better job
• Un-introspective: too much of a chicken to take a reality-check
• Women oriented: suffers from estrogen overload. All men are hated here
• Women despos: too many male employees, eager for some eye candy. Cesspool of perversity
• Wastefully inclined: don't optimize/recycle resources, waste without realizing the pit they are digging
• Cluttered: too many things stacked in each corner of the office floor
• Lounging hubs: less work / more sleep aura. Employees seated like folks folded out in front of the TV

Updated on January 8, 2018: We have brought-in an indoor plant to try and enliven the surroundings. Cannot do much about the existing decor, the drab wall paint but we can add some green splash in the form of a Croton - a small plant that is quite dexterous, able to survive indoors and outdoors. Just today, I got a small water sprayers to ensure the leaves are kept greener. 

Updated on January 29, 2018: We have been hopeful about getting a new workspace. Today, we came closer to realizing this, visiting the site that is being prepared just a few feet away from our current dwelling. Though the work has just started, the hopes are up. We are betting on more ventilation, more body maneuvering space, better washrooms and conference halls that can genuinely host a team meeting. Our expectations are small and very real. Nothing too fancy and somewhat optimistic...this pretty much sums-up my small, lovable team!

Updated on April 4, 2018: The work pressure is getting to them. I don't have immediate solutions as a Manager though, ideally I should have at least a couple. This is the real time, that phase, when the performers and the shirkers will drift apart. My unintentional, and non-broody, disassociation from team activities/interactions is perhaps bringing them together. This is my first impression after the last week saw strenuous work schedules and some projects becoming tighter, too tight for our comfort. I wish I could share this article about team working dynamics but right now, it is better for them to realize a few things on their own. I stand apart a bit, trying to understand the psychology at work.

Updated on October 17, 2018: The current scenario is closer to what I have always wanted. A small bunch that knows about team-work, a small pool of people I can trust. Yes, there will always be a difference of opinions and sometimes, the ego clashes will spiral out of control but these days, I am better at understanding the dynamics of working with a predominantly female team and they in turn, comprehend my expectations a lot better. A couple of them, now seem to have more clarity about the fact that increasing expectations, praise, adulation, and some scrutiny mix-up as a part of team culture when you are in for the longer run. They seem to realize that friction is not about hating someone but a natural byproduct of different individuals sharing the shade of the same umbrella.