Workplace culture. What does it even mean? I know we know what it is but how do you put it into words. If I had to go out on a limb, I’d say it’s just the environment that is created for employees to do their best work. It’s a mix of a lot of things that I believe start with the values and mission of the company and having the employees somewhat align with it. It’s common now to see positions like Director of Culture which shows how much importance companies place on culture. But I digress; This post is not about that, somewhat related though.
A thought hit me the other time. I think most dev communities allow for some flexibility in the use of devices at the workplace. We all need a break after staring at the screen for a while. Some may choose to take a walk, grab some snacks, stretch, or the most common in my opinion - grab some screen time. Whatever your vice is - be it watching some cat videos on YouTube, chuckle at the recent ramblings on twitter (like what it is to be a 10x Engineer) or maybe you are just like fuck it, let me watch an episode of Money Heist - it’s a good way to destress, give the brain cells a break and recharge.
Okay, so where am I going with this? Oh right, the thought… so I’m curious about what the etiquette is when you go to a colleague’s desk and you “catch” them taking one of such breaks. Hopefully, you hold no prejudice. But what’s your next action?
For me, it’s always #3. No need for the awkwardness of watching them quickly close a browser tab, or put their device down accompanied by the sudden jerk movement.
What do you do? Are you that guy or girl that does #1? Don’t be that guy or girl.