Be the Buddha, be the Buddha, be the Buddha…
There’s been a few ‘issues’ since I’ve been here with my colleagues in regards to our work environment that I’ve just recently figured out how to resolve. Unlike in Australia a straightforward, open discussion is not an option as there’s the potential for people to be embarrassed and lose face. Thus, an open discussion could both prevent any changes being made in the short run and damage long-term relations. The social system at work makes things like this more difficult, but that’s just the way it is, so instead I’ve had to find different ways to address them.
Issue 1: Personal Space
One of my colleagues seems to think that to speak to me, she needs to roll over from her desk, right next to mine, to ensure we hear each other. Now I know that I’m going slightly deaf and have a tendency to mumble, and that westerner’s have a greater personal space-level, but come on, she’s right next to me!
The first few times it happened I tried to put up with it, but it does irritate me as it encroaches on what I subconsciously consider ‘my space’. Not very culturally sensitive on her part not to understand that, so instead it’s something I needed to address.
My first tactic was to surreptitiously bump her chair when she rolled over – such as wiggling my chair so that it lightly bumped hers as I re-adjusted my position at the computer, or stood up to get a file.
That seemed to work for a while, before she recommenced, and then the final of all personal space invasions. I was quietly working away at my desk, suddenly she was sitting next to me, shoulders touching, a spreadsheet laid out in front of her on my next. Now what’s happening? I looked over at her desk, and it was so crowded with old files and pieces of junk (I mean personal affects) that there wasn’t room for her to work. Resisting the temptation to immediately tell her to piss off, my mind kicked into gear looking for a solution. “How about I help clear away some of those old files?” And without awaiting a response I grabbed a few bundles and shoved them onto a spare shelf.
Mission accomplished, she rolled back to work at her own desk. The integrity of my personal space has been maintained since then, and I avoided a face-losing open confrontation.
Issue 2: The air conditioner
Thailand’s a hot country (duh), and hence to me the air conditioner plays a crucial role in making the workplace actually workable. My colleague didn’t think so, complaining of it being cold and turning the air conditioner off a few times when I left the room. The switch to the air conditioner is above my desk, hence the need for my temporary departure. I’m not, however, in a position in the section to start switching it on again, and wanted to avoid a straight out discussion due to face issues and the associated prospects of my losing the discussion and hence the cool air for at least part of the day.
After months of on/off cool air my too-cold colleague, out of the blue, proclaimed that it was “too hot” in the office for a change, I seized my chance. With a smile in my voice I said, “Really, I noticed that you sometimes turn the air conditioner off.”
“Yes, usually it is too cold.”
“How about I turn the air conditioner down a little.”
Voila, a compromise reached. It may read simply but there was a lot of non-verbal issues involved – mainly around the need to open a dialogue without confrontation, an establishing of each other’s position on the issue without having to be upfront, a ‘pleasant’ conversation, and the opportunity for all to back out if it looked like a disagreement was pending.
Thus, this formed my first ‘high-context’ (i.e. non-Western) win on an issue. In my first few months I was involved in a few discussions, but was unsuccessful in manoeuvring my point of view to the front. Hopefully then, I’m learning.
Colleagues doing things that shit me: Three
Namely (Pseudonyms adopted for legal reasons):
‘Suzy’ - coughing all the time and refusing to go to the doctor.
‘Deborah’ -singing along, completely out of tune, to terrible music. Celine Dion should be classed as workplace harassment.
‘Tina’ – And her inane chatter. Just once, say SOMETHING.
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