Stop taking advantage of the office admin ... please? Now!

Work has been overwhelming the past two weeks.

Following the typical office pattern, employees in various departments have gradually realized they can dump their work on the admin and s/he can't really do anything about it. I can't exactly give these tasks to anyone else, being at the bottom of the totem pole, unless there happens to be an intern or temp around. I don't want to complain too much to my supervisors about the issue, because I need to demonstrate I'm capable and efficient and can take on the world in order to move past the admin portion of my job.

You have to play the game. That's what they tell us. But do I really need to keep my mouth shut and work overtime while pregnant just to satisfy people who aren't my supervisors? I definitely believe in teamwork, but not when I'm the only one doing the work and they are getting credit for it. The decision they make to dump their work on me isn't very smart: most admins move up in my company, and rather quickly at that. Pretty soon, for all those Boomers obsessed with hierarchy, I will be "equal" to you. Might want to think again before handing me your crap on a stick.

I work behind-the-scenes to some extent, which makes it harder for higher-ups to detect when their staff is taking advantage of me. But I'm pushing forward in the communications aspect of my job to gain visibility as a true asset. I'm putting my stamp on the areas where I want to be working in a year.

Ultimately, I need to say no. These people are not authorized to give me their work, and it's presumptious and arrogant to believe they can give work to some who is not under their umbrella. It's the beginning of the wave, and I need to establish how large I will let it get before it just crashs down over me.

You don't really have to play the game. You have to figure out how to reinvent it. When this wave of overwhelming work is over, I'm going to write up a description for departmental interns -- something we don't actively recruit -- and propose that I find, select, and supervise said interns.

I will cultivate the work-life balance I want. I'm just now figuring out what I want and how to get it ... it's just taking a little longer than I expected.

Pacing

I could get used to this three-day work week thing. Why save it just for holidays? Let's make every day a jolliday.

Not only is having four days off, three on nice, but so is the pace. Everyone seems less rushed -- even the notoriously bad Boston drivers. I actually heard an "excuse me" out of a businessman's mouth when he hit me with his umbrella. Wouldn't it be lovely to capture this feeling of relaxed spirit and spread it throughout the year?

I wonder if the lower concentration of people in the city affects moods in a positive way. Certainly having open green space has a positive impact, and that could be related to space in general. Or it could be related to quality of air, the physical possibility of escape, and a variety of other things. I know I personally feel more comfortable and relaxed when I have a little more space in my environment than I actually need. I'm not talking about McMansions or even today's standard American house ... but sitting every other seat on the subway is much nicer than being crammed in like sardines. I've noticed I pay more attention to proxemics than most people I talk with, so perhaps this is just me.

I'm listening to Oscar Peterson play on YouTube. I'm not a big YouTube fan, but it's a classy little number.

Snowy footprints

After leaping out of one snowy foot imprint and into the next, I finally made it home in a 3-hour commute that usually takes 45 minutes. It started snowing around lunchtime, accumulating about 1 1/2 inches an hour, and it hasn't stopped yet. I can still hear the neighbors scraping away with their metal clunk-clunk spoons for snow. At least now they're clearing some of it up. I'm amazed at how far in advance the city knew about this weather storm and how little preparation was put into the clean-up effort. It's like the way the West practices medicine: all treatment and no prevention. Not that they can prevent snow, but hiring a few temp workers to drive the dozens of plows that are just sitting in the state's parking lot might be a start.

We had our staff holiday party last night and I ventured out for a non-work, non-medical reason for the first time in two months. I'm proud that I made it through the whole night, too. We were floored by the fancy-schmancy restaurant, and a little surprised that the server, who knew with our reservations that we were vegan, told us the chef had specially prepared fish for us. First of all, I don't expect everyone to know what vegan is, but I would think a famous chef and perhaps a few on his/her restaurant staff would have a clue. Secondly, if you don't know what I can eat, why don't you just ask? And finally, that disgusts me that you wasted food like that. I certainly hope the dishwasher got to eat "our" grub.

That makes it sound like a bad night, but really it was nice. I enjoy, for the first time in my life, all the people I work with. One of the bigwigs even made a toast over how much she is enjoying the high value we place on our families and that there is a work-life balance cultivated that puts family first. She pointed to me and one of my coworkers as an example. My coworker brought his 5-week-old baby girl to the dinner! She was soooo adorable ... and I got to hold her! She looked up at me from her sleep a few times and I thought I was melting. I've thought about her all day today. I guess I've got a bit of a baby bug. :)

I was happy to hear the bigwig's speech, especially since I've been looking into alternative work options like flextime. I don't know what I want yet, specifically, but I do know that I'm going to go for it. It never hurts to ask, right? I read this blog on Gen Y work predictions today and it made me feel like figuring out what I want and asking for it may help someone in my shoes later. Like I can pave the way for future mothers and their work environments. That's exciting!

Speaking of shoes, I need to get me some winter boots.

Lunch

I have to leave my desk for lunch, and I certainly enjoy every last second of my full hour. Most of my colleagues, however, just sit at their desk and apologize when they run next door for a burrito. It seems unhealthy to not take a lunch, or at least a longer break. Staring at a computer screen for eight straight hours with minimal nutrition seems like the type of thing health experts would advise against. I think I've read some studies on that before, which ideally I would link up here for you, but I'm tired and lazy tonight.

I realize this whole I-can't-take-a-lunch thing could easily be seen as them just having too much work, and while that's the case for some people, it's still a choice, especially in light of all the time they spend at the "water cooler." The problem reinforces itself with their behavior ... the more people that don't take a lunch, the harder it is to work up the nerve to take one when you want to. I avoided that trap by taking a lunch every day since the day I started. Of course, I still feel guilty -- maybe even moreso because they don't even get a lunch and here I am, luxuriating in mine!

I found the best spot on the fifth floor - a cushy deep orange couch. I take a good 45 minute nap. Well, I don't actually fall asleep (I'm a light sleeper), but it's a glorious rest. I started it when I returned from disability leave, and I'm thinking I just may continue it for my pregnancy.

See what these people are missing out on? Naps!

Amendment

I'd like to change the proper office rule from 'we "do" lunch' to 'we "grab" lunch.' I think this is as popular as it is because it makes you sound more busy, and thus (I guess) more important. I can't possibly finish all this paperwork and call these people back and go to this meeting on time on top of "having" lunch -- guess I'll have to grab lunch.

You ever notice how it's like a competition around this country: who's busiest? Me, no me, no no me! I've noticed the folks that are the fiercest competitors -- the Busiest people -- are usually the ones who aren't busy at all.

I guess they have to waste time somehow.