You there, be accountable!

Nothing is more frustrating than walking into an office ambush. In one way or another we have all experienced it, and it ironically looks just like a scene from Office Space, and may actually involve TPS reports. It's apparent that all forms of communication are down, and this is a life or death issue. The end result? You end of frustrated by the lack of prior communication, confused by what the issue really is, or a combination of the two, which just further exasperates the complex web of pseudo-institutional structure. Typically these ambushes are in response to a small issue that has either never been discussed beyond the entire office email that was sent out or is the result of the perturbations of an insomniac project manager.

There may be a myriad of reasons why these issues continue to balloon as time progresses, but it comes down to effective communication. As a cubicle inhabitant, you often aren't privy to what decisions are being discussed in the corner office. The lack of communication often rides down the gravy train to project managers or team leaders, and finally assumes shape on your desk as an inane email about using the proper cover sheet for an internal report. The how or the why has long been forgotten, and when prompted, your team leader or boss may cock their head Lassie-style and wonder what on Earth the confusion or frustration is really about. This is the point where you, the cubicle dweller, the led, need to step forward with some concise questions that can stimulate the leadership juices and get that train back on track. This is where the rubber meets the road, where your unique status as the led will help the company leadership figure out that the seemingly little idea is going to cause big headaches.

Whining will get you absolutely nowhere. Complaining to the secretary at lunch will also provide no relief. Instead, compose an email to the leadership position directly above you, and make sure to detail all your concerns, frustrations and angry, witty retorts. Now delete that email. You want to keep your job, right? Go walk around the building, then come back and write down all the reasons that the issue at hand is detrimental to the company as a whole, to employee morale, etc. If you look at the list and determine that you are indeed being a whiner, toss that paper, take a deep breath, and ask yourself what you can do to make the situation easier on everyone. Nine times out of ten this is the path that should be taken when a new directive comes down from the corner office. Instead of complaining, take that cover sheet and make it a fillable form so that it can be filled out in less time. As the led you may not be privy to why you have to do it, but you can definitely figure out a way to make the process easier for everyone. This way less time is spent thinking about how bad the task really is, and more time is spent actually doing your job. Personal accountability by you, the led, will trump poor decision making by your boss (most of the time).