By phantom (W_Ky_Phantom) on Sunday, January 01, 2006 - 6:39 am:  Edit

I have worked for a local financial institution for 10 years now. Two years ago I transferred to the technology department, a department of 15. Our department recently moved to a new area of the building. We moved from a cubicle environment into another cubicle environment. My question is this. All of the cubicles are of equal size except mine and a new employee. I was off work for a few months this year due to a health issue. While I was out a new employee was hired and when I returned it appears my emloyer had not planned for the addition to the department. So my cubicle area was divided into two. This is a new area and plenty of room for growth. I expressed my disappointment to my employer and was treated poorly. My supervisor basically told me the size of the workstations did not matter. Is it childish of me to expect an equal workspace?

By Daniel Robin (Admin) on Sunday, January 01, 2006 - 1:04 pm:  Edit

It is not childish to expect an equal workspace; indeed, your productivity and attitude do depend on fairness and respect from your employer. It is hard to know if this is just an oversight on their part or if some deliberate discrimination is involved. There should be a willingness on their part to hear your concerns and discuss possible solutions. If not, you may want to find out why.

Not that you want to go there, but consistent treatment by your employer is probably legally actionable, especially if you are a protected class of employee (have health or disability issues). You probably don't want to focus on this, but rather keep it in mind as you consider your options.

So, how might you address this situation? What could get you a more cooperative and appreciative response? It is in your employer's best interest for you to feel respected and to know that your good will and productivity depend on your sense of respect. Give respect and you'll usually get it reflected in kind. Assume the best in them and you'll keep more of your options open.

What might be a positive next step?

I'd be happy to discuss this further,
Daniel

By CareerCreature (Careercreature) on Monday, June 09, 2008 - 1:10 pm:  Edit

I agree with Daniel, is not childish to demand equality.

By Michael Mallows (Mmallows) on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 3:18 am:  Edit

I agree that it is not childish! Your employer might have 'an agenda', your supervisor could be 'right' in saying it doesn't matter; you would be wise to follow Daniels' advice to keep in mind where you do not want to go (although, ironically, where you don't want to go is the focus of this discussion!).

There is, however, to my mind, the danger that, in assuming that people will - or SHOULD - behave according to the myth of 'fairness', you might indeed feel that you are being treated unfairly.
I say myth because I think that our ideas about fairness are usually instilled in childhood, and our perceptions, thoughts, fantasies and yearnings about fairness usually re stimulate memories of events and unresolved feelings provoked in childhood, when we were truly powerless and dependent.

What you tell us certainly smells like injustice and it might actually be directed at you (as opposed to the cultural norm of your organisation, casually cascaded down the hierarchy to those who are expected to cower in their cubicles oblivious to measurable inequities!)

>>>...a new employee was hired and when I returned ... my employer had not planned for the addition to the department. <<<
The implication is that your employer was not expecting you to return even though you were NOT an addition.

Understandable though it is that you are upset, an emotionally charged reaction could be experienced by others, even if they aren't 'out to get you' (or get rid of you), like the behaviour of an angry, petulant child i.e. childish!

Would that be 'fair'? Of course not! However, life frequently isn't as we would wish it; it is what it is and it isn't what it isn't; that's where you need to start.

Although I cannot and do not refute the validity of Daniel's suggestions, I also fantasise other possibilities e.g. >>>It is in your employer's best interest<<<>>>your good will and productivity<<<>>>for you to feel respected<<<

>>> Give respect and you'll usually get it reflected in kind. <<< I heartily concur although', for me, the key word is 'usually'! Your situation might be one of the exceptions that proves the rule!

I subscribe to (and teach) a mind set based on Intelligent Optimism i.e. assuming the best and pondering the worst. [that notion underpins the 'Yes!' in my CRAFTY Listening model]

To expect reciprocity is fine. It is prudent to anticipate mentally, emotionally, psychologically (never pessimistically) worst case scenarios. This enables us to rehearse [maybe only in our in minds, but with others playing devils’ advocate can be better] how to maintain a resourceful state even if our negative hallucinations become manifest. For instance, your supervisor reacts more and more like a critical parent, treating you like an errant and rebellious child, threatening to send you to your room without your supper i.e. to sack you. Or to make you feel so hemmed in that you scream to break free i.e. to resign!

Intelligent Optimism would also advocate not only keeping in mind the possibility of the >>>probably legally actionable<<< but actually researching the degree of probability before attempting a dialogue with either your employer or your supervisor, assuming they are not one and the same. Even if they're not, they could still be of one mind (by which I don't mean they necessarily have only one mind between them!).

In short, find out where you stand if you are going to stand up and be counted!

Obviously, as I know nobody in this situation, my responses come my ‘map’ i.e. my meanings, assumptions and paradigms, which I know are not the territory!

Go well

By Michelle (Danze69) on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 2:16 pm:  Edit

It is not childish to expect treatment on a level with your coworkers. Your current dilemma is a result of your boss's poor planning. When designing the new work space he/she should have pointed out that an additional cubicle is needed. Not only for your personal space requirement but also in order for each of you to work at your best. You can hardly be expected to make important phone calls, etc when sharing a small space with another and vice versa. Whether your boss acknowledges it or not, this will affect your's and your coworkers productiveness.

By Michael Mallows (Mmallows) on Sunday, November 23, 2008 - 1:51 am:  Edit

Phantom, you say >>>All of the cubicles are of equal size except mine and a new employee.<<< which only tells us that two cubicles are, presumably, half the size of every other cubicle; it does not tell us that they are small or too small fopr you to work in.

I also deduce that, rather than having to share, you actually have your own space, albeit smaller.

Also, is the >>> ...new area of the building.<<< only 'new' to the technology department, or was it newly designed or created?

I agree that >>>It is not childish to expect [level] treatment<<< but if you approach the person you blame for the dilemma in an emotional rather than a rational state, there is the possibility that you will be seen as childish. If it does not matter to you whether others see you as childish, then acting in a way that might be considered thus will only make sense if you beleive that petulant or tantrummy behaviour will win the day.

Michelle says >>>Your current dilemma is a result of your boss's poor planning ...<<< which presupposes that you boss ordered, planned and implemented the changes. If your boss was not responsible for any of the changes [your transfer / new area of building / size of cubicle / not planning for addition to department, which I notice was your employer's lack of foresight, and your employer might not be your boss!]

>>> he/she should have pointed out that an additional cubicle is needed.<<< perhaps s/he did? And this is potentially at least three people: your employer / your boss / your supervisor ...

>>>I expressed my disappointment to my employer ... and was treated poorly. My supervisor basically told me the size of the workstations did not matter. <<<
Assuming they are two different people, it would apppear that the supervisor is a mouthpiece for the employer, which begs a few questions:
how did you, phantom 'express disappointment'? Was it through the supervisor, in which case can you be sure that it reached the bosses ears?
If you expressed disappointment directly to the boss, was it face to face, in a written memo or my email?

I'm wondering about the chain of command and the way that changes and challenges are communicated or dealt with in this financial institution.

The 'norm' might be that each level below is supposed to communicate ONLY to or via the level above. Going above the head of, say, a supervisor, might be considered a cardinal sin punished by banishment to cubicle hell ruled by a devil of a boss and his mean minions who definitely don't acknowledge the needs or rights of those who suffer.

Except perhaps if >>> ...your's and your coworkers' productiveness<<< has been affected.

If any of that latter IS the case, which it certainly appears to be, your spatial dilemma might seem insignificant compared to what might ensue from battling for justice, equity or fairness.
And if you continue to be >>>treated poorly<<< and the sense of injustice and disappointment festers, then stress is a likely outcome.

Your line of command and your personal ethics might indeed require that you be >>>expected to make important phone calls, etc<<<

It seems to me that you have four basic choices of response: Fight Flight Freeze or 'Flow'.

Fight might be up-front, which will probably add to your stress levels but you might 'win', or furtive, which will probably add to your stress levels
Flight could be inward, which will probably add to your stress levels, in which case you might need more sick-leave. Or could be to leave
Freeze - you just stop functioning, which might add to your stress levels
Flow, which means you find a way to be be cool, calm, collected. Accept that the situation is what it is and isn't what it isn't.

Putting our selves at the effect of other people's actions is a dangerous kind of dependency that, all too often, makes us think, feel and act in childish ways!).

The antidote is to take responsibility for your own emotional state so that you are not dependent on your supervvisor / boss / employer for your own peace of mind or your emotional / physical / psychological well-being.

When/if you achieve 'flow', then you can endeavour to challenge or change the situation with logic, rationality and determination. You are less likely to get upset, stressed or enemies because you are no longer quite so {emotionally} dependent on the world being the way you think it should be.

This might demonstrate that your self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation, and social awareness offer a level of emotional intelligence that makes you a gentle force to be reckoned with.

You might then be treated rather better if you, for example, suggested that you'd be happy to step into the shoes, well the cubicle of a departing colleague, which will put you on a par with [all bar one] of your fellow cubiclees.

Having limbered up on this post, I will now set to work on the next chapter of my book!

go well


PS the last sentence of my last post should have read: "...my responses come FROM my ‘map’ i.e. my meanings, assumptions and paradigms..."

By Beatriz Ruiz de Chavez (Bchavez) on Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 1:48 pm:  Edit

Wow!

I learned a lot from all of you, Michael, Michelle, Phantom, etc. Great analysis; makes me stop and think. I think it will be especially helpful for one of my co-workers.

By jonathan trott (Jonathantrott) on Friday, April 27, 2012 - 5:07 am:  Edit

I dont get the point, this must be misunderstanding.
confined space training

By michael mallows (Mjmallows) on Friday, April 27, 2012 - 5:22 am:  Edit

Johnathon,
I'm not sure which point you didn't get, nor what the misunderstanding is.

However, have you looked at the dates of the pervious posts?

Go well

By jonathan trott (Jonathantrott) on Friday, May 11, 2012 - 8:36 am:  Edit

You have every right to ask for the equal working space as other employees, your question is not childish as all.tdg training