Something rather sweet and heart felt is happening in our office. The Southborough (MA) folks--made up of executive staff, some news folks, art and copydesk people, as well as part time teleworker editors and reporters--have been busy the past couple of months raising (so to speak) The NetworkWorld Editorial Lounge.
Seems our boss found budget money for some dorm-type Ikea furniture, and I hear he's building or built some tables (carpenter type). I just checked in with "Mincah," my dear friend and copyeditor, who helped decorate and played a key role in the Lounge's recent feng shui ritual.
The Tiki bar motif includes Pier 1 accessories and a working dry bar, complete with tip jar for the bartender, Mincah says.
Since I haven't been in lately, I'm full of questions. Do people actually lounge in the Lounge? Do they hold meetings, play chess, read non-IT publications, take naps?
"We art and copydesk people are enamored with the Lounge. T and N are frequent admiriers. I believe a features meeting was held there just yesterday," Mincah says.
This is quite surprising to me--in a good way.
Back when I was spending a bunch of time in the office (a quarterly event), back when the cubicles had been removed (the trees cleared) to make room for the Lounge but the furniture had not yet arrived, a colleague asked me in a low tone, "Is this lounge thing a trap? A way to thin out the ranks a bit?"
The idea being if you're dumb enough to lounge in the Lounge, you deserve to be fired.
Perhaps the market is finally loosening up a bit, people are daring to think: Hey, I bet I won't get fired if I sit on that couch for a few minutes. This could be good for me."
The formal unveiling of the Lounge is set for next Friday. "That's what we're shooting for," Mincah says. "We don't have a nice sea grass or jute rug yet, but everything else is about finished."
Perhaps we will post some pictures? Our multimedia editor Jason will make a little movie? Should we set up a Web cam? Lots of possibilities.
When I told our columnist and Test Alliance member James Gaskin about the Lounge, he responded with a link to his own feng shui guide, Computers Must Face South. James is nothing if not a keen self promoter.
Back to Telework Beat NotesOne of my favorite Dilbert cartoons shows Pointy-Haired boss announcing that due to weather "all non-essential personnel should leave" the office. Then he and Dilbert look out the window to the parking lot, and the boss says, "this is the easiest layoff decision I've ever made."
Next time you're in the office, sit on the lounge couch, put your laptop and cell phone beside you, and declare the space much nicer than your cubicle and refuse to leave. Maybe they'll excuse you from any more office visits.
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