Office Party of One

I'm glad I don't work for Yahoo. 

Not that I've noticed them calling me on a regular basis offering me a job or anything. But still, I think it would be hard to have an office all set up at home and, after getting used to shuffling around in pj's with a favorite mug of coffee in hand, being told those days are over.

(Source: Google Images)

 

Before I go any further, I want to be clear in saying this isn't a diss on Marissa Mayer. I'm sure she made the 'no more telecommuting at Yahoo' decision soundly. Like all business people, she has and will continue to make some good decisions and some not so great ones. I guess we'll find out which category this one falls into eventually but, as someone who advocates strongly for more female representation in the world of high level leadership, I want to go on record that I support Marissa. She's pretty dang powerful. And influential. And the woman makes more money in a year than I'll ever make. I suggest she keep doing whatever it is she has been doing. Although, she probably doesn't need my advice or approval.

Nevertheless, I suspect some Yahooers are not yahooing over having to go to an office. I say this because, in my opinion, working from home has some nice perks. 

I have a lovely little office in my house, painted a delightfully cheerful Granny Smith apple green. It is home to my desk and my much needed white board where ideas leave my head and get recorded in somewhat random but nevertheless comprehensible (to me) fashion. On the wall hangs my Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Woman calendar that reminds me which day it is in case I forget. And I do. Often. Next to my computer, a lamp delivers a cozy heated spot for a cat to sleep while I work. And on warm, sunny days I open the large window and let in fresh air.

I pretty much love it.

Except on days when my extrovert self grows weary of my extrovert self's company. I can only laugh at my own jokes so many times. On those days I long for an office with other people. I miss the conversation, the laughter, the creative energy. Still, it is nice not to have to deal with any workplace drama other than an occasional feline tiff. Those are easily remedied with a spray bottle. Human coworkers tend not to like solving conflict with that much water.

For the most part, I'm an extrovert, living an introvert's life. And for today it works. The right job in an external office environment may come along, and if it does, I won't hesitate to take it but for right now, I'm functioning just fine.

Nevertheless, I've been hearing a lot about the differences in introverts and extroverts in the workplace. Introverts seem to think extroverts are annoying. It appears the latest theory is that extroverts are poor leaders because they are loud, scatterbrained, impulsive, messy and unwashed. Well, okay, I made up the unwashed part. But, extroverts seem to be getting a bad rap.

I guess the introverts got tired of being perceived as uptight, compulsive, and moody.

All of this has me wondering why we feel the need to put people into such extreme categories in the first place. I mean, yes, I am an extrovert. But that doesn't mean I'm incapable of being quiet, or thoughtful, or reflective. I can sit in my office and work productively without adult supervision. And I'm reasonably certain introverts are capable of social interaction without breaking out in hives.

Why the need to categorize one as better than the other? Being an introvert isn't better than being an extrovert. Nor is being male better than being female, or white better than black, or Christian better than Muslim, or straight better than gay.

For whatever reason, we seem to feel that people have to be placed in specified categories and those categories have to be arranged in hierarchical order of better or worse. Whoever falls into the category of 'better' wields the most power. None of it is real, of course. It is just what we allow ourselves to believe. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to hear that personality characteristics are now being added to the better/worse classifications. It isn't going to serve anyone. The world isn't made better when we sort people into groups of better and worse.

The world is made better when all people are regarded equally. When groups don't matter and characteristics are just simply characteristics without value classifications. We don't live in that world, of course. But if we all did our part to stop categorizing we'd come a little bit closer.

Imagine it. All people having equal value.

Yahoo.