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In an office environment, it’s always great to add some colour, and variety. Looking at grey walls with grey cubicles can make for some grey faces. So, when my company decided it was time our office got a make over, I was looking forward to it.

Given almost a year later, they are finishing off the cafe and elevator hallways. The “office” area turned out nicely. My desk has more surface area, the new flat screens give more space to work. Even the colours they’ve added are nice in highlights: some mustard and burgundy.

However, as the rest is being completed, the nice highlights are going terrible wrong. My beef, especially is with the elevator hallways. They are huge walls of dry wall bubbles.

Now, the first thing I think in the morning is that I’m in Logan’s Run or 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m thinking I should be wearing polyester winged collars and bell bottoms that are dated, and yet still supposed to look like the future.

Corporate culture is a tricky balance, especially if you are trying to bring smaller foreign cultures into the fold of larger corporations. There are loads of signals that the employee’s are looking for. Yes, a redesigns are powerful statements. But, with powerful statements come double edged swords. Because of our overhaul, I’m seeing the company very differently.

What a take for the new interior is the company is “trying” to be cooler then they really are. The design tells me, we are trying to be “hip” and “with-it”. Give this and my previous post about the secret office, and it’s clear that they aren’t.

Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. It always comes through loud and clear when the signals are mixed.

Through the blog world, I came across Change your World, Change The World. Kevin Salwen highlighted some words shared on The American Dream Project.

• If we are sick of foreign wars, make peace with our personal enemies.
• If we are concerned with our nation’s debt, save our own money.
• If we are sickened by materialism, buy only what we really value.
• If we are concerned with global warming, conserve, walk, telecommute.
• If we are worried about the environment, recycle, plant trees, grow something.
• If we are angry with our leaders, propose and post real solutions.
• If we are worried about health care costs, eat right, exercise, and sleep.
• If we are worried about crime, drugs, and violence, participate in a neighborhood watch.
• If we are sad about the decline of marriage, make ours the best example of commitment and fulfillment we can.
• If we are worried about terrorists, put some boundaries between ourselves and those who use or abuse us.

The quote continues:

“I hope you can see what I’m trying to get at. These suggestions are simply metaphors for thinking about our lives. They are not meant to be absolute or literal statements. These are simply reminders that for every big overwhelming problem in the world, there is a version of it in our lives.”

However, I say, these are not metaphors; these should be absolute and literal statements. We all have the opportunity to lead by example. If we can’t change ourselves, how do we expect others to change?

At my company, the executive team is trying to boast that the company promotes “Open and timely communication”. However, their is a downfall in their support of this.

1. If you going to say “and”, do “and”.

The word “and” is a tricky one. Especially with value statements like this one. The word implies that both are present, and always present together. If you are timely with a piece of information but not very open, then you have failed in putting the statement into practice.

If you fail, then you loose the trust of those you’ve informed. And all of a sudden, there is miss-trust or the idea that you aren’t being honest. The value looses it’s meaning and simply become more clutter in corporate propaganda, then is rejected from the masses

2. Simple acts show your sincerity

Ah, there’s the rub! Really, this is the main reason I’m writing, and my big bug. Our office has just been renovated to follow the corporate scheme. And suddenly I noticed a inconspicuous door with a security swipe key. I looked through the small window and what do I see? It’s an almost secret executive only area.

Hmmm, “open and timely communication”. Open? How does a secret locked away executive only area say “Open” to the employees.

For offices that are multiple floors, I can understand that there might be a floor dedicated. But in out 2 floor small operation, the message this say’s speaks volumes!

You can say it, but your actions have just convinced me, you don’t believe it, you don’t want to believe it. And, sorry big wig exec, I don’t believe you.

This week, I’ve been feeling drained. With some reflection and thought, I think I have an idea why. The amount of things I’m doing that drain energy from me don’t equal the amount of things that rejuvenate me.

Everyday I’m loosing energy. It’s bad accounting!

Rejuvenate >= Drain!

It has me thinking, what drains me and what gives me energy? I’m wondering how to balance the energy books. Is it a todo list like GTD? Is is something different?

Reading all these comments on Fox canceling the OC, for some reason I’m always reminded of some office humour

• Buying a stronger whip.
• Changing riders.
• Say things like, “This is the way we have always ridden this horse.”
• Appointing a committee to study the horse.
• Arranging to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.
• Increasing the standards to ride dead horses.
• Appointing a tiger team to revive the dead horse.
• Creating a training session to increase our riding ability.
• Comparing the state of dead horses in todays environment.
• Change the requirements declaring that “This horse is not dead.”
• Hire contractors to ride the dead horse.
• Harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed.
• Declaring that “No horse is too dead to beat.”
• Providing additional funding to increase the horse’s performance.
• Do a Cost Analysis study to see if contractors can ride it cheaper.
• Purchase a product to make dead horses run faster.
• Declare the horse is “better, faster and cheaper” dead.
• Form a quality circle to find uses for dead horses.
• Revisit the performance requirements for horses.
• Say this horse was procured with cost as an independent variable.
• Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Nowhere does it say “get off”.

Is it always a surprise?