A tale of two offices
The first is a shambles, clearly the owner has no idea what is going on, he should be taken outside, sacked, hung, shot and generally persecuted for good measure.
The second is a model of organisation, it is paper free, the work has been, productionised, computerised, systematised and digitised. It is highly productive, the future.
Or is it?
Excuse me for being a Luddite, but I am not so sure.
In the first office I know I have a problem, there is a disaster in there somewhere, just waiting to happen.
But in the second office? It all looks great, have I been lulled into a false sense of security?
- What is the next thing to be done?
- What are the burning issues?
- How big is the backlog?
- Is anything about to explode in my face?
I have precisely no idea.
I wonder where all that paper has been hidden, under the carpet or on the hard disk?
I doubt its owner really knows either.
Can you tell me exactly what is going on in your office? At a glance?
Has all that expensive automation solved your problem? Or hidden it?
Maybe there are cheaper more effective ways of getting organised.
Read another opinion
Images by hansbrastad Jeffrey Beall smileham
Hello James
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT….
You have made visible, in a beautifully simple, zen, way that which is so as regards the modern organistion and particularly the role/contribution of technology!
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT….
Thank you.
Maz
Hi James,
Great post. Made me think about office policies and practices and what it really communicates about how we operate.
Messy office……open, visible, out of control? Clean/clear desk….closed, invisible, in control?
Interesting to look at how much we can communicate with each other even when we are not there.
Adrian
Glad you liked it