Behavior in the office by Imtiaz Mohamed

Appropriate behaviour in the workplace used to be
a priority not important
enough to be featured on a memo. It was a concept
that created little or
no controversy because of the assumption that
being at work automatically
meant adopting the professionalism your vocation
requires.  With time and
development, also came changes that made the
concept of ‘HARD WORK PAYS
DIVIDENDS ‘devoid of any real novelty.  From
shifting responsibility to
inappropriate banter – these newfound activities at
the office have become
acceptable so effortlessly, that we find ourselves
with the tedious task of
deciphering our professional lives from our
personal ones.  In retrospect,
taking pride in one’s occupation – was the sole
objective of attaining job
satisfaction. These days, however, that objective
has been replaced with
more questionable antics including: GOSSIP,
HARRASMENT, and IMPROPER
CONDUCT.  The balance of priorities in the
workplace has shifted so
dramatically, that employees who actually take
work seriously – have
ironically become ostracised.
The ratio of WORK MODE: RELAX MODE has taken
such a revolutionary upheaval,
that the office has become a sanctum which people
attend to pass time, as
opposed to achieving what is required of them.
Modern trends have
suggested that shifting responsibility has become the
norm to such an
extent, that job prescriptions have become
redundant. After all, when you
get so accustomed to having someone do your job
for you – it becomes
somewhat confusing to answer the question: ‘what
is it that I do?’
I’ve often heard the expression at the office: “don’t
take it so
seriously…” and I’ve scratched my head several
times at the audacity of
such a statement; that may suggest you adopt a laid
back approach to your
work. As essential as it is to fill your day with the
appropriate amount
of leisure and and extra –curricular relief, the
balance of priorities
should not be confused.  Also synonymous with
modern day office ethics, is
the criteria used to determine your worth to an
establishment.
Business has always been a cutthroat concept-but
all the more prominent at
present – when we consider how many companies
have employees that
unashamedly take credit for work that isn’t theirs.
It may seem
astonishing to read such a thing, as it is to write it…
but it’s practiced
more often than you can imagine. I sit at my desk
now, ironically thinking
why I’m using my lunch break to write this article,
but the reality of the
situation strikes me swift and without surprise.  I’m
one of those that
give my job the respect it deserves- which explains
why I’m writing this
article, as opposed to lowering my values just to
climb the ladder.
IMTIAZ MOHAMED