Why all workplaces must remove SOFA's
The blog is a written with the intent to have a light hearted look at how we behave at work, but it does have an ending of a serious nature.
Have you ever worked with someone who confirmed their mood with office stationery or furniture?
A friend of mine had a Manager who ‘announced’ how they were feeling through ‘chair language’. If the chair was pulled out silently at the start of the team meeting, staff knew the Manager was in a good mood. If the chair was dragged and dropped, it was a ‘storm warning’ and often the storm continued post meeting. Staff who weren’t at the meeting would ask attendees ‘What did the chair say today?”
I once had a Manager that found the office door was a clearer indication of mood; closed calmly - good mood, slammed shut or thrown open - not so good mood. I’ve also worked with people who prefer the language of the stapler. They believed that slamming an empty stapler on the desk would magically fill it up again. And then there are the keyboard warriors who communicate their feelings through typing. Not by turning their thoughts and feeling into words, but by typing hard enough to shake the desk and bruise their finger tips.
All this noisy and wordless communication is a sign - and it shouldn’t be ignored.
I am in no way qualified to assess why people at work attack office furniture or stationery but from my years of workplace experience (over 35) and the stories I’ve been told by many many people across many many workplaces, not only is SOFA (Stationery Or Furniture Attack) common, most of us have been guilty.
My most recent SOFA will hopefully be my last. I was annoyed that I couldn’t find a document that I needed NOW, so I ‘slammed down’ the mouse and this action moved the mouse-pad which hit my coffee cup and this little jolt made coffee splash over my desk, phone and keyboard. I call that domino of events ‘Revenge of the Office Furniture and Stationery” - they got together and hit back! Good work team, good work!
As I mentioned at the start, this blog is intended for us to have a little giggle, so share the giggle. Check in with your team and get their SOFA stories. It’s a great way to remind everyone that we all get a bit ‘bonkers’ at work and SOFA can happen ‘in the heat of the moment’ BUT on a serious note, if you or anyone in your team communicate frustration through SOFA often, it’s time to stop and find a better way because it’s not good for humans or business.
A customer service team with members who regularly display SOFA can make other staff feel anxious, which can lower productivity and damage team harmony. If we tolerate customer service staff who SOFA often, it can become an unconscious habit that they display when interacting with customers.
If you’re a Manager, you set the standard of behaviour so don’t be like the Managers who used chairs and doors to convey emotion, encourage your team to stamp out SOFA by trying some of the below:
Go for a walk outside - fresh air and Vitamin D can positively impact our mood,
Use a stress ball or an office punching bag - they were made for it ,
Put in headphones - listen to calming music,
Take some deep breaths - deep belly expanding breaths,
Stand up and stretch - legs, arms, fingers, toes, neck, back and shoulders,
Take your breaks - especially if you think you’re too busy,
Vent with your words - talk it through with a trusted co-worker,
Break into dance - jazz hands and a little YMCA never hurt anyone…did it?
But please, leave the defenseless chairs, doors, staplers, mouses (mice, meeces?) and keyboards alone or beware, they will attack - when you least expect it - trust me!
By Cate Schreck - Recovering SOFA
Author of The A - Z of Service Excellence