I've been very confused about something lately. I'm perplexed by busy people. Not just your average run of the mill busy person but people who need to announce at a minimum of once an hour how busy they are.
I decided to start really paying attention to all the extremely busy people I see and know. That didn't help my curiosity one bit. In fact it made it even worse. I figure that most of us know a truly busy person when we see one. That's the person that is simply making stuff happen and getting things done. The person that you never even notice because they are at their desk making sure everyone has what they need when they need it. They are the people who are usually extremely under appreciated by most everyone in the office.
I'm not referring to those people. I'm referring to two different types of busy people. The first group is people I call “Mobile Busies”. This group likes to walk around and announce that they are super busy. I guess they think the rest of us are on pins and needles waiting for them to mosey by and rattle off their “To Do” list. Mobile Busies enjoy getting stuff done, they just don't enjoy doing it. They mosey around casually and strike up conversations. “How's your new puppy, Puddles?” This, my friends is really a very sly diversion. They couldn't care less about Puddles. The minute you start to finger through your iPhone for pictures of your darling fur ball they leave THEIR work on your desk. 9 times out of 10 you don't even notice it until they're gone.
The second group is people I call “Stationary Busies”. These people never move from their desk. They wouldn't move if you called in a bomb threat. They sit and wait patiently for the unsuspecting sucker to come up and ask for help or simply walk by. They can't possibly take 5 minutes to do anything for you because they are BUSY. What are you stupid or something? Hey you walking by…guess what? They're busy and they just thought you should know. Do you need them to tell you what they are doing? Well they can't because they are too busy for such shenanigans.
Stationary Busies confuse me because they appear to be working a lot but nothing ever gets done. If you look at them closely they even appear frazzled. Hair is a mess, makeup smeared, stuff strewn about haphazardly. Don't make the same mistake I did and ask a Stationary Busy if they were accosted in the parking lot or if there was a tornado you are unaware happened. Oh heavens that really winds them up! “No! I did not ride a tornado back from lunch, I'm BUSY. I haven't eaten in six days because I'm so busy. I have this to do and that to do and some of that over there to do. Now do you see why I look like this?” Oddly, I sort of appreciate someone who is willing to go the extra mile to do nothing. You have to admit; willingness to look like a hot disheveled mess day in and day out shows a lot of determination.
Take a little time this week to observe your co-workers. You might notice that some of them are actually amusing. Please note the word ‘observe'. If you need to hide behind a potted plant or under a desk feel free to do so. Co-workers should be observed like animals in their natural wild habitat. Any interaction with actual co-workers can be hazardous and not particularly amusing.
