On those days when it seems the entire rest of the office is focused on sawing away at the last frayed nerve you have left, the best thing to do is just bail for awhile. Get out. Go for a walk. Grab a cup of coffee. Take a nap in a park. Or just take your work with you and do it somewhere away from where you can be easily found. The hard part is reminding yourself to do it.
That's why we've created the Cubicle Evacuation Plan.
Modeled after those emergency evacuation maps in hotel hallways, the Plan consists of a simple diagram of a cubicle and an arrow pointing the way out — just in case you forgot. Below the diagram are three simple steps to follow should annoyance strike (and it will):
1. Get up from your desk at the first sign of annoyance from your cubemates.
2. Quickly and quietly move toward the exit.
3. Get your work done elsewhere and do not return until the annoyance has stopped.
Just by hanging the Cubicle Evacuation Plan in your cube, some of those who share your space may get the message. Or at least a laugh, which can help to disrupt annoyance patterns almost as much as ditching the office itself.
I Hate People! is happy to offer you a free copy of the Cubicle Evacuation Plan, in the form of a downloadable PDF file. Just scroll to the FREE STUFF! button on the right-hand side of the blog, click on it and follow instructions to grab yourself a copy. Pin it to your cube wall and refer to it whenever things start to get a little bit nuts.
If your office is anything like most, that means you'll barely get the pin pushed in before you're heading for safety.
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