Can you work at office?

It started with a post on a a friend Facebook page. He put a link from TED (I put the link below), the speaker has a bold opinion (in my opinion) about what make people can’t work efficiently at office.

After listening to it while I’m working on my module (I like to listen to talks occasionally rather than music to accompany me coding), I feel it makes sense in a way.

Social media

He mentioned some of the reasons like, dreaded meeting, wave of emails which keeping coming in or instant messaging that bugging staff because IM will interrupt whatever they are doing. It’s not about the social networking sites (come on, we know that recently people “integrate” their life with facebook, twitter and many more). He added that few decades ago people were not used to the concept of smoke break, and in this modern days, those social networking IS modern office worker smoke break.

Recently, all sort of social media, picture sharing websites and other “fun” or “entertainment” related websites are being blocked in my office. For those with mobile data plan, things are not as bad as who don’t. They can easily use their smart phone to do their “smoke break”. It’s just that slightly harder because mobile data plan is slower compared to LAN cables obviously.

For you who curious enough, try to listen to the talk and let me know your thought.

If you are employer, would you dare enough to not block those sites?

If you are employee, what would you think that your employer should not block those site?

On personal note, though that it’s hard for me to adjust, for not having my “smoke break”, but I made it in the end. It was hard in the beginning, because I feel disconnected from my friends and family. But, I managed to be able to “detach” myself to some extents. And I agree to him that IM and email are more distracting in a way. Not once I prefer to walk after office hours because there will no colleagues to interrupt me. Or maybe I’m just a robot worker.. Who knows.

Let me hear your thought. 🙂

Reference:

  1. Why work doesn’t happen at work by Jason Fried.