ARE YOU BUSY?
…even if you are not, there are ways to show that you are. Creating an impression of a hardworking professional is an essential office skill.
Some tips to master the art
Sometimes hardworking professionals lose it to hardly working employees; reason being the inability to know the art of ‘perception management’, which can easily tag them as ‘AB’ (read always busy) professionals or ‘CD’ (read carefree demons)! “In today’s fast paced world, it’s trendy to be busy,” avers Seema Hingorany, a leading psychotherapist, “Professionals try to look busy and preoccupied to set a positive impression. This kind of behaviour can be related to one’s inner need to boost selfconfidence and measure up to other’s achievements.”
It is human to feel important and impress those who matter, be it your boss or your love interest at work. Pretending to be busy at work is indeed an art. Here are some pointers to show the world that you are a ‘busy bee’:
• Never walk around without a document in your hand:
People with a file or documents in their hands appear active and industrious, and if you don’t have one, you are obviously “heading to the canteen”. How about visiting the canteen with files and documents to heighten the effect? Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home at night to create a false impression that you never switch off your ‘office’ mode.
• Send e-mails at weird timings:
People will appreciate your concern for work if you send e-mails at odd timings like 4 am or 11pm. Also, if you call/email others for office work on public holidays, they will be all praise for your ‘sincere’ efforts. Use phrases like, ‘work comes first’, ‘work is important’, ‘I can’t sit idle on holidays’ and ‘I like to work with a relaxed mind’ to justify your efforts.
• Messy desk:
Remember this thumb rule - only the top management can get away with a clean desk. A messy desk is an aid if you want to look busy forever. Ringing phone/s, papers and files all around you indicate that you are neck deep in work. “I am known for a messy desk at work and my colleagues from different departments are very concerned about my work load,” Harsh Ved, a bank employee, winks.
• Skip lunch but let others notice it:
“Lunch time is the best time to let others know that you are buried with work,” quips Deepti S, a software professional, “The best time to act busy is when other team members are planning to go out for lunch. Say that work comes first and other things can wait. Not only people will talk about your commitment to work, you will be more noticeable when others are not around.” Go for lunch at 4pm or 5pm and let the world know that when you are working, you tend to even forget about feeding yourself.
• Use computer to your advantage:
Whenever you use a computer, it looks like ‘work’ to the casual observer. You can send/receive personal emails, chat with friends, calculate your shopping expenditure and generally have fun without doing anything remotely related to work. While using a computer, open a number of files or websites and make sure you make sufficient use of the alt + tab keys to switch files and pretend to be doing too many things at a time.
• Be known for leaving office late:
Many people prefer to leave office late to avoid traffic, use office gym, make personal phone calls or use computer/ internet facility to socialise. Leave office late especially if the boss is still around. As they say, ‘first impression is the last impression’. If you can impress your boss with your idea of sitting in office till late, you will never hear him telling you to give more time to work. To make effective use of those extra hours you are dedicating to ‘work’, you can read books and magazines that you always wanted to read but never had the time, or track down your school mates on social networking sites.
• Actions speak louder than words:
Sigh loudly when there are many people around making an impression that you are under extreme pressure. To heighten the effect, stretch your body and do some light exercise to show that long hours of work make your joints stiff. Always try to look impatient and annoyed. A frown on your face can help you tag yourself as a thoughtful and intellectual individual. Are you game?
Cheers
CAclubindia
