Leadership

Why Is My Boss Hiding in Her Office?

By Stanley Bing

Updated on: June 22, 2009 / 3:29 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Dear Stanley,

My new boss has recently covered the large window on her office door so that no one can see what's going on behind her door when they walk by. Several people have asked me why she did this and have noted that it seems strange. I think this move sends the wrong message and makes people feel shut out and suspicious. Should I say something to her about this?

Peeping Tom

Dear Tom,

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Why don't you ask her some of the following questions:

Why in the world would you want any privacy?
Don't you like having people peering in at you all the time in order to see what mood you're in?
Why in the world would you ever want to have a few moments of time by yourself to think, put your feet up on your desk, take a little nap, even?
Why would you ever want to be away from us, your needy, needy employees? Don't you know we require your presence, guidance, and affection ALL THE TIME?
Who do you think you are? The boss?

Perhaps you can tell where I'm going with this. Okay, I'll buy that your corporate culture is steeped in the whole Open Plan thing. Most folks are probably in little, dehumanizing cubicles where their co-workers glare at them every time they belch. The senior managers are in offices that are like fishbowls. A lot of ultra-suede internet companies actually have their executives in shared spaces and make them conduct their meetings in common meeting rooms with cute little names. Ugh. Spare me.

I applaud your boss. True, she's swimming against her corporate culture, probably because it's driving her crazy, but I sympathize. Do you know how friggin' NEEDY people are when they report to you? There they are, in your face all the time, mostly about little stuff. Why? Because they want to know they're Okay With You and that you love them. After a while, the need for privacy becomes overwhelming. But where is your boss to find it?

Everywhere she goes she runs into her employees or her bosses. She goes back to her office and there they are, the eyeballs, glimmering at her from all over. So yeah, she's blocking out her window. You want to ask her a question? Wait until she comes out. She'll probably be a lot more hospitable to you then anyhow.