Throwback #3: Catfish makes me miss my office

I was looking through my blogposts today and when I saw this post about catfish that I posted just 3 weeks ago. I have been having it quite often for lunch back in office--I can almost taste it right now--and it's making me miss my office so much. 

I miss the drive to the office. I am a person who don't mind the traffic congestion, as long as I am not rushing to the office for a meeting. It is a time for myself that I really value.

I miss the good mornings when I walk into the office. 

I miss the setting up at my table to start the day. 

I miss the lunches I have with my colleagues when most of the time we don't know what to eat.

I miss the coffee and the tea and the snacks.

I miss chatting with my cubicle neighbours. 

I miss packing up at the end of the day to return home. 

I miss feeling wonderful reaching home and spending the time doing a lot of family and me-stuff. 

Now that I'm staying at home, I appreciate the office more.

pearlie

A memorable photo collage

I had wanted my boss to give up this section of our wall but thanks to my dedicated staff, she took up the challenge and filled it up with much life and colours. 

Except that my face seems to be everywhere. Never been so exposed. LOL. 

pearlie

We all play games at work

I am doing a revision for the final module in our manager's development programme and I'm trying to get back into reading this book Games at Work, How to Recognise and Reduce Office Politics by Mauricio Goldstein and Philip Read. 

Games at Work, How to Recognise and Reduce Office Politics 

by Mauricio Goldstein and Philip Read

I have started reading it when I last bought it March this year but stopped halfway. Like when I was reading Eric Berne's Games People Play back in 2009, I found it hard to follow the descriptions of the games. You can see I am not a very structured person, and I need more effort to work structures out, to unpack them. 

I wanted to also check out on this avoidance game that people play but I don't seem to find it in Berne's or Goldstein's book. I found this article useful though: Being Ignored as a Bullying Tactic. 

Games are played in at different intensities and levels in our lives, be it personal, in a team, or in an organisation at large. Goldstein said that game playing is often a subconscious activity and it does the damage beneath the surface. We all need to reduce our games and become more authentic. A team that reduces games becomes more trusting and connected. An organization that reduces games becomes more believable, meaningful, attractive, creative, and productive.

But it is not easy. A lack of awareness of games played and the presence of an unhealthy culture would encourage people to play them consciously or unconsciously and this will certainly thwart the success of the business. It is worse still when it is played from the top.

But it starts with us, where we are: to be a leader who journeys from self to service...coping to character...from games to giving (Goldstein).

pearlie