Office celebrations: Unity or unprofessionalism?

There is a particular department in my company that seems to be in perpetual celebration. There are banners, work tables draped in flimsy paper tablecloths, and an endless parade of cookies, cakes, and potluck lunches. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that department undecorated.

I try to figure out each time the decorations change what the new celebration is. Is it someone’s birthday? A new season? Canadian national holiday? The vernal equinox? Daylight savings? Sally's cousin's granddaughter turned 2? Perhaps it’s jealousy that I don’t seem to be in the crowd that gets invited despite not being part of that department. More than anything, I find it humorous that it’s the department that is always trying the latest diet fad, which is a whole new level of irony given the confections that department rolls through there.

Don’t get me wrong – I love a raucous company holiday party as much as the next 20-something, and I enjoy the free food that comes along with early morning meetings, lunch meetings and the occasional birthday. When I worked at a start-up that had about 7 employees, we had a grand time one-upping each other when it came time to throw the birthday celebrations. But that was a small office, and at a start-up, you practically have to celebrate your birthday with your coworkers because you’re with them so much.

I understand that office celebrations can provide a sense of unity and community among employees. Some people work 40, 50, sometimes 60 hours a week at their jobs; it can inspire a little goodwill among workers and serve the utilitarian purpose of not losing productivity by keeping employees well fed and happy.

On the flip side, it seems unprofessional to me. There are the decorations, which recently went well beyond streamers and balloons, which stay up for at least a week following the celebration. Then there are the cooking smells from baking in the company kitchen that linger in the hallways for hours. (Side note: When I managed a basement radio station, I banned popcorn. No joke. Those odors lingered for days without ventilation.) Aside from the things that just plain annoy me, I wonder where they get the money for that stuff. Does it come out of their pockets? Is it part of their budget? Why don’t I get paid to cook on the clock? What if a customer comes in – does that undermine the professionalism of the entire company?

Companies spend a lot of time and money on providing the right environment for their employees and customers, taking into account colors, furnishings, and in some cases even smell (the cafe I part-time at doesn't allow outside food or drink because the space should be committed to the aroma of coffee). When you do work in such close proximity with others for that long, you ought to take into account what might be offensive to others. I'm not saying you can't pop popcorn, but enough with the 9 a.m. lasagna baking.

Am I being the office curmudgeon? Is there a point at which office celebrations are taken too far?

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons.

Can social networking exist in a vacuum?

I read a lot of blogs lately talking about how social networking is single-handedly lowering the real-life social skills of an entire generation, that it hampers effective social change, that it kills productivity. At the same time, I read articles about the miracle of social networking, how it’s keeping people connected and helping form new connections in both our personal and business lives by bringing niches together without geographic constraints. What is undeniable is that connecting is important, that the bonds we form personally can be used to further our business goals, and that the people we meet in the workplace or through business networking can become part of our personal lives.

With all of the hype surrounding social networking, the articles on weak ties, etc. I wonder what good social networking actually is if you don’t have the opportunity to meet any of the people you are connecting with. For example, CoolPeopleCare blogger Sam Davidson recently visited Madison to meet with Modite blogger Rebecca Thorman. Employee Evolution bloggers Ryan Paugh and Ryan Healy moved from New Jersey to Wisconsin to co-found a company with BrazenCareerist author and blogger Penelope Trunk. What is it about the personal contact of meeting someone in person? There is something undeniable about that face-to-face connection solidifying what you’ve built up via social networks.

Perhaps there is a bit of jealousy that runs through me that these groups of bloggers have the opportunity to work in such close proximity to one another, or at least fly to each other. Groups breed creativity and allow ideas to grow. I’ve also blogged about accountability partners and how being around one or a group of like-minded individuals who are striving toward goals as well can keep you moving forward, increasing productivity and helping you meet your goals faster.

I live in mid-sized town in south Texas. For those of you in big cities, mid-sized means about 300,000 people. That’s pretty small. Not being from Texas and not having a lot of the same political, religious or social ideals as most people in my area compounds the problem. It’s near impossible to search out people who have similar goals (OK, any goals) whom I can connect with. Granted, social networking has allowed me to reach out to other people like myself, including those I mentioned above, and to keep up with the ones I meet who move away.

At some point, though, I do see myself meeting with the ones I form stronger-than-weak ties with via social networking, which is what brings to me back to the original question. Can social networking effectively exist in a vacuum? Or, is it necessary at some point in the relationship to make face-to-face contact?

I Get Accountable: A Follow-Up

I took my own advice this week after blogging about accountability partners. After all, that’s what the post was about. I met with a girlfriend Wednesday to catch up and discuss a book I had loaned to her a few weeks ago, Ladies Who Launch. It was the first book I read when I realized I wanted to be an entrepreneur and it eased me into the start-up mindset. So, knowing my friend was feeling uninspired, I loaned it to her. It had such an impact at a pivotal moment in my life, I was anxious to see how it would affect her.

After a great hour-and-a-half long conversation that included brainstorming business ideas, we agreed that it would be nice to do on a regular basis. Earlier that day, at a political rally, I bumped into another one of my girlfriends, an ex-coworker, who in the course of the usual chit-chat off-handedly mentioned that she was thinking of starting her own business. I made a lunch date with her for later in the week, and mentioned the idea of adding her to our weekly meetings to my other friend.

Accountability group accomplished. It’s more than that, though, since we have different interests. We’re all interested in starting our own businesses, but some of us are interested in real estate investing, stocks and inventing. The nice thing is that three people can accomplish more than one can. So, instead of one person trying to research sole proprietorships, limited liability corporations, taxes and bookkeeping, trademarking and copyrighting law, etc., we have three people who can split it up. And where one person has X contacts in her network, our group will multiply that by three.

Besides all of the rational and technical benefits of our group, there is also the more emotional benefit of knowing that there are people who get excited about the same things I do, who are striving toward the lofty goals as well, who are unsatisfied with the status quo and are willing to take action.

Stand Up and Be Accounted

Accountability is a word you often hear bounced around your workplace (i.e. being held accountable for your responsibilities) and the big business arena (i.e. corporate accountability). What I’m talking about is a different sort of accountability. Really, the word has come to mean so little to me due to its jargonization from the first two instances that I needed to look it up.

Accountability, according to Merriam-Webster, means the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.

I first heard of “accountability groups” from their use as post-rehab groups. Recovering addicts and alcoholics leaving rehab facilities who live in the same area get together regularly to discuss their recent progress and actions, and to accept responsibility for them.

That might sound pretty hard-core, but it’s something that I’ve been able to utilize recently to help me make some life changes I really wanted to achieve. For instance, most recently I decided that it would be better for my life overall if I started waking up earlier. I thought a long time before I mentioned it to anybody because I know myself and I know that waking up earlier is not going to be easy for me. Once I made the decision, I knew that I couldn’t go it alone.

How to get started
My accountability partner happened on accident. When I started my running program, I got so excited about it that I told everyone. One friend in particular made a point of asking me nearly every time I talked to him how my running program was going. I always answered honestly, whether it was going good or bad. When it was good, he was glad to hear it; keep it up, he said. When it was rough, he offered encouraging words; don’t give up, he said, you’ll get there.

The amazing thing, though, is what took place in my head. When I thought about skipping a run, I knew I would have to face my friend with the truth. I was going to be held accountable for my decision. Knowing that made me go through the excuses I would try to get away with, know that no one of them would work and I would sound like an ass, so I went for my run. It’s been 8 weeks since I started that running program and I haven’t missed a day!

So, when it came time to quit coffee and within a few days, begin a new morning routine, I told my accountability partner. Day Six without coffee and Day Two waking up early, and he’s asked me about both. And each time I see a tempting cup of coffee or I feel the desire to hit the snooze button, I imagine having to tell my accountability partner my lame reasons why I made those decisions.

Don’t just take – give accountability!
I realized this morning how much of an accountability monger I’ve been! Spread the love, people. You can be someone’s accountability partner, too. All it takes is a genuine concern and a little bit of effort to remember to ask a friend how he or she is doing on whatever new venture or project they are working on.

The nice thing about accountability is that it does have a whole lot to do with advice. If you know something about their project, great. Offer your experience. But it doesn’t matter if you don’t. The point is that you are there.

Tips for accountability
1. You’re there to give/get support. You don’t need to dish out advice every time you talk to someone. Ask them how it’s going, good or bad. Get details if it’s bad. Let them know if you’re seeing progress. This can be especially important for long-term goals.

2. Don’t be an unsolicited accountability partner. It sucks, but it’s true – sometimes people don’t want to be held accountable. I see it every New Year; people tell you about their new resolution, and when you ask them about it two or three weeks later you get a mumble and a growl. Not everyone wants to really change, and you’ll only piss them off, you busy body know-it-all!

3. Frequency is key. If you’re not being held accountable on a regular basis, then it won’t work. Figure out what the optimal schedule is for the task at hand. If it’s running four times a week, then at least once a week will work. If it’s sticking to a monthly budget, then once a month might work. Figure it out with your accountability partner so that you don’t go too easy or too hard on yourself.

4. Your accountability partner should keep you in line. Dump a doormat accountability partner. They’ll get you nowhere fast and you might not be helping them much either. On the other side of the spectrum, ditch an overbearing partner. You shouldn’t dread calling your accountability partner because you think he or she is going to rail at you. That’s the fastest way to give up.

5. Be honest. Otherwise, there’s no point. Remember, this isn’t forced upon you as a class assignment or as a job duty. It’s supposed to be about a change you really want to make. If you’re not honest, you’re only lying to yourself.

6. Spread the love; start an accountability group. If you are a person in the middle of totally reworking your life from top to bottom, honey, you might be too much for one person! In all seriousness, being an accountability partner is a big responsibility. Consider getting a group of like-minded friends together once a month to discuss your goals, actions and plans and hold each other accountable for them. Sometimes it’s just nice to know that not everyone is perfect 100% of the time. A group can be there to share their experiences with similar goals or projects.

7. Post it on a blog. Hard to admit publicly that your attempt at quitting coffee or waking up early failed miserably because you didn't have the will power to pull it off. Heh.

Don't forget the rewards

Providing a friend with support can be a truly amazing experience. My accountability partner told me recently how rewarding it’s been for him to see me achieve the goals he’s helped me with. I hope one day I can experience that kind of reward with many of my friends.

Get accounted.