Sometimes your chair can be just too comfortable…
It can be all too easy to sit in front of a computer all day, allowing yourself to be sucked in by a vortex of emails, playing to the tune of other people’s agendas, and from which it is difficult to escape as work fatigue sets in. We become hypnotised by the screen and frozen to our chairs.
Or if you are a scientist, you might feel compelled to sit all morning at the bench reading agar plates, without any hope of reprieve…
So one of my resolutions for 2018 is more face to face time. Less time in front of a screen and more time talking to people, building relationships, and breaking down barriers. By this I don’t mean more formal meetings, just more informal chats, and not necessarily about work!
Sure, there will always be periods where I need to be in front of a computer:- reading articles, reviewing or writing laboratory policy, checking emails, analysing data, etc. But I want to ensure that this is the minority of my working day, not the majority.
The same applies if you are working at a bench. If you have a mountain of culture plates to read, or samples to set up, then the risk of boredom and consequent errors is a genuine one. Make sure such work is punctuated by occasional wandering and chats to your colleagues. Discuss possible ways to make the laboratory process more efficient, or just talk about what you got up to at the weekend! And never, ever feel compelled to stay at your bench just because your boss is sitting in the office nearby. This is not school anymore!
Being an introvert, I am not a natural conversationalist, but this year I am going to force myself out of my comfort zone. Disagreements with colleagues, which are inevitable from time to time, are so much easier to navigate through if you have a good working relationship with them.
To quote the often used cliche. “Nobody has ever said on their deathbed ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office/at the bench.‘”
But it’s absolutely true.
So in 2018 I will endeavour to seek more face to face time, assuming I can find somebody who is not busy sending emails or reading plates…
Michael
“Face to face” -January 2018
This article and your goal to achieve more face-time and stronger bonds with colleagues is something I applaud and think we should all aim for. Thank you for bringing this up.
I once found myself so swamped with work that I barely realized that the year had ended. I made major work accomplishments but I attended no conferences, met no new people and barely kept up on correspondence. That was a year lost, and I will NEVER do that again, engage, make contact, go outside your comfort zone, your brain and spirit will thank you.