😵 Are you or anyone in your team a desk-bomber?
Some people in the office just love to hop to other people's desks. Should it be encouraged?
As the government lifted its PPKM regulations, offices are starting to get filled up again. Life is coming back to the empty workspaces as more collaborations happen offline—like they were always meant to.
But one thing that could be a disadvantage of working from the office, is having to entertain coworkers who seem to not be able to sit still at their desks and have a habit of striking up conversations, productive or not, with others a.k.a ‘desk-bombers’.
The rise of the desk-bombers
The term ‘desk-bomber’ is relatively a new vocabulary in the HR world. Though the phenomenon itself has been a thing since the dawn of day, it was first coined as a buzzword in around 2022.
Talking to other co-workers—whether at their desks or other spaces in the office, was once part of everyday office life. But after the COVID-19 lockdown happened, many employees now prefer the new digital way of working without others’ interruption.
There are two huge factors impacting this shift:
Technology. Virtual meetings have kept projects progressing and teams together during lockdown, with the Google Calendar acting as an employee’s personal assistant. Text, chats, and emails became the preferred way to communicate.
Age. According to a recent research, 76% of millennials have telephone anxiety—now imagine impromptu face-to-face interactions. It is also suggested that the older generation adopted the same fear since the Blackberry arrived in the 1990s.
Learn more about the pluses and minuses of desk-bombers and what companies could do to facilitate them here.
A blessing or a curse?
Business Insider has asked 5 workers on what they think of ‘desk-bombers’, and whether they think these people should be encouraged or discouraged. The results are as follows:
Pet hates
David Clare, managing director at a communications agency
"One of my pet hates is desk-bombing, or the remote equivalent—sudden, unexpected video calls. But I feel you have a lot more control over these. You can simply ignore or decline the call, and get back to the person when you're ready.”
Approachable
George Flyer, consultant
"I think it's important to be approachable when at your desk, as it helps to facilitate quick decision-making when responses are needed urgently, and helps to build relationships with co-workers."
Very disruptive
Amanda Wallace, content and marketing executive
"As someone who works in content, staying focused is important, and being interrupted can often take me out of the flow state, which can be difficult to get back into. Quick discussions are fine, but longer talks can be very disruptive."
Gets the work done
Dmytro Kondratiev, attorney
"While desk-bombing may be uncomfortable or aggressive to the other party, it gets the work done. Face-to-face conversations have saved me time at work, as sending emails and making inquiries by phone is not as effective.”
Networking nest
Jack Devlin, commercial director
"If I never desk-bombed, I wouldn't have made half of the friends and connections I have over my career, and would have massive knowledge gaps into the overall running of the business."
Do you resonate with any POVs above? Check out the full Insider piece here for more work confessions.
Defusing the bomb
If you’re like David or Amanda who find discomfort in desk-bombers and find them rather annoying, try this 3-step approach as reported by Forbes on how to deal with ‘annoying’ co-workers:
Identify the person that irks you
You may not notice exactly how much a coworker aggravates you on a deeper, personal level. Think about the co-worker you vent about most often, the one you would never want to be stuck in a crowded elevator with.
Figure out exactly why this person provokes such resentment
Identify the emotions provoked. Irritation? Insignificance? Disappointment? Simply labeling the emotions has a soothing cognitive effect that allows you to embrace a solution-focused mindset.
Learn to see your reaction to that person as a form of feedback
Use the other person as a mirror. If you’re spurring a career pivot, it's possible a co-worker's behavior may trigger fears or insecurities you want to work on. Instead of simmering in upset, learn to trumpet your own achievements.
Find more ways to implement these minds tricks in the full article here.
One of the silent productivity killers at work comes in the form of desk-bombers. If you’re looking for ways to deal with them, this Monday Mavens edition is for you!
If you’re looking for other tips to improve your career, subscribe to Mekari’s YouTube channel as we’re launching our newest podcast “Dear Mekari”, where you’ll get to ask career questions, and we’ll answer them with experts in their fields.
In our upcoming episode, we’ll discuss all about the future of work. If you have any questions for our guest star, career coach Asmarandhany, leave them in the comments below.
We’ll pick the best ones and answer them on the podcast. See you next Monday for another Monday Mavens dose!