RE: Criticizing Writers - What Would You Have Done?

["Sara Hassen" <Sara -dot- Hassen -at- stratagene -dot- com>]

Steve Nichols Wrote:
"Sometimes you just can't help being critical of some of the people you
work with.  It might be about how they do their work, or in my case, how
they DIDN'T do their work."  

[Sara Hassen] Unless it directly affects you, why concern yourself?

 "In one position I contracted at, I observed blatant abuse of company
time and resources by a few writers."

[Sara Hassen] Again, did it directly affect you?

"The biggest problems were talking, surfing the web, and writing
personal email, to the point that deadlines were missed on more than one
occasion. Loud personal phone calls that carried over the cubicle walls
and clearly heard by everyone were common."

[Sara Hassen] Did these deadlines affect you?

"Multiple times a day they'd be observed in personal conversations that
were clearly not related to work, and often lasting 30 minutes or more.
Sometimes there would be a sudden eruption of laughter from them that
would startle everyone within 50 feet. (Nothing we wrote about was that
funny.)"

[Sara Hassen] I'm amazed you actually timed these conversations.  It
almost sounds like you are upset that you were not included in their
conversations.

"Management was seated elsewhere, so unless they happened to be in the
area, they didn't see this happening. Eventually others in the company
who were affected by the noise levels started to complain, but by that
time my contract was ending. The most that happened before I left was
reminders from management to "be considerate of your neighbors."

[Sara Hassen] Maybe management didn't feel your concerns were founded.
How do you enforce a non-laughter policy?

I've wondered since then what the most effective way to approach
management about this would have been.   What would you have done?

[Sara Hassen] I guess it is safe to assume that your contract was not
renewed?  There is a time and a place to fight for what you feel is just
and fair.  However, company culture will prevail and you will be left
not only as an outsider, but unemployed.

Did you ever approach the writers whose work ethic affected you?  Did
you ever ask them to keep the noise level down in the cubicle?  Did you
ever express how you were being affected?  If you answered "No" to any
of these questions, you might want to rethink your actions.  Unless you
explain what ails you, how can you expect a cure?



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