Tribal Outcast
Ever notice how relationships can change when your status or position change?Five months ago I was transferred to a different project (still in the same building - just on the other side). This means I lost my fantastic view and had it replaced with a view of the parking lot. sigh. Now I can't watch the little goslings in between
However, there is a collective shun mentality that seems to come over people. I worked on the previous project for almost 6 years and of the remaining project members (it has shrunk over the years) some behave differently towards me now than others. I would say that interaction with former male colleagues has changed more than interaction with former female colleagues - not that I am terribly chatty or social at work, to begin with. Maybe this has to do with the way males and females interact or maybe it has more to do with not being part of the "tribe" anymore.
Are men more likely to shun outsiders than women? Do males prefer not to interact with those who are outside their tribal unit? Are the females who court with the outsider slightly subversive? Do I need to find more serious questions to ponder?
My relations with coworkers in other groups and divisions have not changed (except for the project I moved into, now they acknowledge me).
Note: none of this bothers me, since I only ever maintain professional and not personal relationships with coworkers. To me, work is work - is not a place I come to socialize. This is something Sofia does not understand. For her, work is a place to make friends. I am more upset about losing my wonderful cubicle and getting this less private one with a much less soothing view and a cubicle mate to boot! My previous cubicle was nice and private. sigh. Image grabbed from here.
Comments
i guess getting a gd view does help in one's working attitude and quality..nevertheless the most important, MOOD..
If u're happy with ur surroundings, u can work happily throughout no matter how high the load is on ur desk.
I once worked in an office on the 29th floor and had a view over the sea port, a firsthand view at lightning..hee...then they had to move to the 10th floor and everything was glum...I tendered my resignation that instance cos I 'lost' my privacy and bcos we had to work in an open layout environment..before there was cubicles..(besides getting a new nasty n fussy boss)sigh
About whether being in the tribe or not..guess have to wait a little awhile before u get the answer.
I only left a job once because the new manager was soooo bad (actually, so did the rest of software team - yet, the general manager at the time, thought he was the bee's knees. Eventually, he got booted out when he made an ultimatum and threatened to quit if some of his demands were not met - the new GM called his bluff and he was let go).
Yeah, the view was nice, but at least with the new view, I can watch my car.
I agree with Sofia, I also feel that work is a place to make friends..but whether as very close friends is another thing...what I can assure though is that it is not advisable to be very good friends with your subordinates, because there is always a conflict of interest at work.