Recently, I've been thinking a lot about inspiration and team dynamics. Last week, I was listening to the excellent .NET Rocks episode 205. Among many great thoughts, Venkat Subramaniam made an interesting point about mentoring-- something to the effect of "Mentoring is not giving someone answers, rather it's giving someone opportunities to find the answer themselves".
As I was listening, I'd been shoveling snow and not paying complete attention, but this idea grabbed my attention. I rewound (do you do that with a podcast?) to the beginning, and heard another gem. He told a story about how when you're trying to change lanes and you turn on your signal light, if there's someone in the next lane over your shoulder, they have a tendency to speed up. This might cause an interesting response the next time you need to change lanes--- you might speed up, begin to turn, and then signal (only so you don't get a ticket). He went on to explain that if everyone would remember that on the road, we're not in direct competition, rather we're just trying to get where we want to go safely, it might reduce the occurrences of road rage (his story was much more amusing than the way I'm telling it, but you get the point).
A few weeks ago, I was reading "Dynamics of Software Development" by Jim McCarthy. I particularly enjoyed his chapter titled "Don't Flip the Bozo Bit". I've been guilty of Flipping the Bit on people in the past, and have made an effort not to anymore. I'm as imperfect as a person can get, and can use lots of advice like this-- I think there's a common thread. Too often, we make the mistake of taking the actions of others personally, or make inaccurate assumptions about their motives, when we should really be seeing things from a much broader viewpoint.
In the past, stress has gotten the better of me, but lately at work I've enjoyed the benefit of some flexibility with my schedule. I spend a great deal of time reading, and find it difficult to concentrate in my cubicle. Our team (of about 15 people) is in temporary digs, and the space was quite obviously not designed with acoustics in mind. There is a fridge and microwave oven right in front of the opening, and 2 hallways converge, causing sound from both directions to be bounced right into my workspace. Furthermore, the temperature rarely goes below 27 degrees, making the noise of numerous fans at times unbearable. And don't get me going about the cleanliness of the restrooms. It's the flexibility that makes it work. My boss is understanding when I sneak away in search of quieter, more comfortable environs for an hour here and there. So, even with all these things to complain about, I respect his approach. It's not his fault that the working conditions are a little tough, so if I choose to be understanding, and non-judgmental, I get better results all around.
I think the point I'm trying to make is that a place of work is more than just the physical surroundings, and each individual can make things different. To start, quit complaining. Then, follow my 5 simple rules to becoming happier at work:
- Keep yourself organized. Use techniques like "Getting Things Done" to close the "open loops" at work. You'll be surprised how much happier and more productive you become (which in turn makes you even happier).
- Help your peers look better. This could be tough if they're jerks, but I think in most cases, when someone sees that you're helping, it comes back in spades.
- Stay sharp. Read, go on courses, talk to people who know more than you, keep learning... An idle mind is the devil's workshop.
- Laugh. Find the humour in tough situations. Laughter creates seratonin, and seratonin makes you happy (or something like that).
- Take a break. If things are getting to you, get outside for a walk (remember, no complaining). Think about successes, people you love, or things you enjoy doing.
Maybe the Christmas Carols are getting to me... Peace!