It is hard to explain how I can be both "available" for my team and peers but also be "very busy" in the same instance. I don't like not being available, but a lot of the time the work I am doing is not evident if you were to just look at me and see what I'm physically doing.
I sit at my desk. I appear to just be staring at the computer screen, but almost always I am reading when you see that. I am typing from time to time, which usually does appear enough like work that people realize that I am, in fact, not just pretending to type. But you cannot tell if a person is typing a funny comment to a peer, or posting a blog, or having an Instant Message (IM) chat with someone ... OR if you are actually putting "pen to paper" on a very important note or presentation for your team, site, company, etc. At least 3 or 4 times a day I am actually not staring at my computer or typing or meeting with someone. And 2-3 of those times are not just me "zoning" (which does happen maybe once or twice a week) ... almost always I am seriously contemplating something relatively important (like a rep's development plan, or a call I just heard that needs feedback to be given to the rep who handled it, or reviewing more company-wide level material and considering how best to present that message to my team).
Enough rambling ... the point is that I am often "available" but "busy" and I'm not sure how to convey to people around me which one it is. I am worried that my facial expressions (for instance, when I am in serious, deep thought) make me unapproachable.
Either way ... I love the Dilbert comic strip above and have it posted at my desk as a reminder that I should just laugh about that situation rather than worry about resolving it. Lots of things in life are like that.
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I loved the Dilbert comic! So true to life! And I totally understand what you mean! When I dropped by your desk on Friday morning I could tell that you were busy, but available. People just need to understand how to choose the appropriate time to drop by, keep their comment short and concise to avoid taking extra unnecessary time.
ReplyDeleteDilbert was just like my old job.
ReplyDeleteI would tell you more about it but I will wait until you are not so busy. ;)
I felt like you always had an expression of being approachable. Even when you were concentrating you would recognize someone's need to speak to you and give them a realistic time frame on when they could come back or how long they could wait for you to finish. If it ain't broke don't fix it :)
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