The most frustrating thing that could happen in my lab is the need to pick up numerous phone calls for someone else (a particular person whom will be addressed as Mr. A subsequently). Note: This is not a workplace where each calls could mean sales opportunity etc. but these calls are personal ones btw.
Frankly, as I was seated one of the farthest away, I was not spared the irritating rings but I felt less obligated to pick up the call. If not for the higher decibels for those closer, they would have ignored the ringing. Anyway, those seated nearer to the noise source are tormented with the disruptive routine: i) stop their work or their flow of thoughts, ii) walk over to the phone, iii) pick it up only to realize from the caller that it’s (again!) for Mr. A (this is the case 80-90%), iv) get Mr. A to the phone, and then v) get back to work.
At that time, I was still relatively new as most people in my lab had already been around for at least half to a year. I must comment them for their tolerance. This continued until two geniuses came up with a “phone call attending” plan (If you get a call, then next time if the phone rings, it is your responsibility to lift the phone, no matter how close to or far away you are from the phone) and this was eventually implemented till today. The funny thing is that Mr. A still commented that this idea is innovative when the plan was first put up for comments and suggestions. The phone calls were still coming in everyday without fail but nowadays we had grown more immune to the ringing and would wait for that Mr. A to pick up the calls that were meant for him anyway.
I was not against Mr. A but somehow I was slightly irritated by this person’s lack of consideration for others. Just to quote one incident: We had to move over to another lab temporarily to allow ours to be renovated. Everyone, no doubt, took this opportunity to dispose of some items (especially unwanted and irrelevant papers). However, I would not have imagined that Mr. A to dispose loose pieces of papers (and lots of them) around and beneath his desk as though it was a rubbish dump. I did not put words into Mr. A’s mouth but he actually admitted that he had expected someone else to clean it up. Anyway, the lab technician told him that nobody would clean up his mess and made him clear all his rubbish.
He really had an infinite capacity for taking things for granted - *shake head*
Haiz! Wondering what will happen if this “someone else” goes into the workplace which will take place soon… hmm…