There is a book by Spencer Johnson, M.D. entitled ‘Who Moved My Cheese’.

     It is all about organizational change management and how to cope with those changes in order to positively affect the working environment. While I understand the concept…change is good….I am not a very big fan of change in some areas.

    They have recently decided to add six new members to our office staff. This is a good idea for many reasons, and I fully support the addition because it will enable us to centralize most of our functions at work within one office. We will cross-train one another and build a stronger workforce that is less suspectible to the problems caused by abscences. It is a chance to learn something new.

    For the most part, this has been a positive change. Yes, combining the offices has been a lot of work resulting in a few 11-hour workdays, but I find the prospect of learning new things quite exciting. All in all, the moving of the cheese has gone smoothly….except for one thing….

   Adding new staff to the office means making room for that staff…more cubicles, more desks, more machines. When my boss first suggested to me that I would be receiving a new desk, I found it exciting. After all, in my seventeen years at work, I’ve never had a new desk. Then she explained to me that she not only wanted to give me a new desk…but she wanted to move my space to a larger area in recognition of my seniority and the fact that she considers me to be a ‘valuable asset’ to the office. That’s when I balked.

   I’m flattered that she thinks so highly of my experience and capabilities, but I’m a very detail-oriented person. I like the stability of my little cubicle. It is perfectly organized to allow me to function efficiently and productively in my job. True, it is small…but it is tidy, cozy, and everything is within reach. I am not insulted by the fact that most people entering the office are not even aware of my existence…it allows me to work quietly and complete my tasks with the attention to detail that has become my trademark.

   Lucky for me, I have a very understanding boss. The floor plans have been altered slightly to allow me to keep my cozy little world with only a few minor changes. This works for me…and for my boss. Because I am comfortable within my working environment, she knows that she can still depend upon me to do my job and take on extra tasks as necessary…and I know that I can depend upon her to respect my needs as well.

    It probably sounds weird to some…but daily changes in my workload and the addition of new staff and responsibility is small cheese. It can be moved easily and is actually quite enjoyable. My little cubby, however, is BIG cheese to me….really big….and I don’t want it moved.

 arkmomy