Image Credit: www.toonpool.com
I am loving the freedom that mobility is allowing me.
Ever since we moved our offices from South Harbor in port area Manila to PASCOR Drive near NAIA in Paranaque, I have refused every attempt by our management to assign me a permanent office. I am very much entitled to one, but I have deliberately opted out.
Without an office of my own I work practically anywhere. Most of the time I would take our conference room for my own. Or I would take an absent colleague’s desk. A lot of time I work outside — in coffee shops, food courts… even inside my car while parked.
It must have puzzled most of my officemates. After all, most employees would look forward to getting their own four walls in the work place. to most it is a status symbol, a sure sign that you have “arrived.”
My boss knows exactly what I am up to and gamely let me have my way. It’s a win-win arrangement for him actually.
First, I have saved the company the cost of putting up — and maintaining — an office for me. And then because I don’t have an office, my boss can make me work where it is convenient for HIM. You see, I work for a group of companies and we have at least 4 work locations in Metro Manila. My boss is also actively involved in at least a couple of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and I act as a “consultant” to these NGOs as well. If I have an office I would probably be spending most of time there, won’t I? But since I do not have an office, my boss can easily ask me to “report” to any of our offices or work locations where he needs me.
The benefits are mostly mine to reap, however. Aside from the freedom and convenience, I also avoid the “clutter trap” of a confined workplace.
If, like me, you’ve been working in the corporate world for more than 15 years you know exactly what I am talking about. The corporate office — that piece of real-estate confined by four walls which is much dreamed about by up-and-coming corporate managers and executives — is the biggest and most effective “clutter trap” there is. The bigger your office, the more clutter you collect — from never-to-be-used-again documents, to office supplies, to personal stuff.
Documents
Speaking of documents… because I no longer have my own office I have also effectively avoided having to print any document. In fact, I deliberately avoided setting up my laptop to connect to any printer. I am your perfect model of a paper-less office. All my documents are in “soft” format. With this alone I must be saving my company a lot of money in paper and printing costs. I am just happy to save myself the stress of having to deal with paper clutter.
Office Supplies
And what about office supplies? Well I sort of carry with me in my laptop bag a mini-office — a pen set, mini-stapler, post-it notes, paper clips, markers, and a few more odds and ends. I need bond paper? No problem. I’ll just ask from my officemates, or or “steal” a few from somebody’s bin. BTW, I also use the rear compartment of my car as back-up storage for transient office items — e.g. document binders I need to work on, etc.
Personal Stuff
These are what I call the mother of office clutter. For those of you who have your own offices now, let me ask you these: How many of you have family photos in your offices? Coffee mugs? Tea set? Dining set? Coffee Maker? Golf set? Golf ball and tees? Badminton set? A pair of slippers? Extra shoes? Briefcase? Travel luggage? Radio? Television? Framed certificates?
‘Am sure you get the drift of what I am trying to hammer down. I had all of these when I still have my own office. From personal experience I can tell you authoritatively that the amount of personal stuff in your office grows in direct proportion to the size of your office. Imagine the trouble you will have to go through when it’s time for you to “move out” of your office — whether because your company is moving to another location like what happened to mine more than a year ago, or when it is time for you to move on to another job in a different company.
Mobility Tools
Of course it helps a lot that I am equipped with great tools that allow me to work mobile — my now-very-old but still trusty MacBook (I am salivating on the 13″ MacBook Pro for a replacement), my iPhone, and a few other gadgets. I have to mention my iPhone apps, too, for they make my mobility a really pleasant experience. Why, I wouldn’t trade for anything my ability to access Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, LinkedIn, and many more anytime and from anywhere. (Please don’t tell my boss about this, okay? LOL)
Now if only I can get my hands on an iPad my mobility heaven would have already been complete!
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Hey cool!!!I have experienced this with my boss. Actually few days ago painting work was going on in our office. That time my boss struggled to work without his cabin. Also all his personal stuff got piled up in a room and became a clutter. I would suggest him to read your post. Very smart idea!!!