Cubicle-Fu

This requires some serious Cubicle Fu. If you’ve ever pulled a late night, or are having a sugar/coffee crash, or forgot why driving is an energy suck, then you know how easy this is to do. There you are, listening to a perfectly dry monologue and almost without you noticing, words blur into a “woh woh woh woh” sound. You begin to feel a slow ache, and the room seems to be getting less saturated, as shapes blur together. Suddenly your dog appears in the room, and you’re in the park at the same time, and you wonder if you could fly and suddenly WHAM! You feel a rapid pain in your eyes and neck as they snap back up to your “default awake” position.

No human being will not know what the neck-snap means. You dozed off, you can’t hide it, everyone knows. Now what?

Things to try when you fall asleep in a meeting (let’s be honest, there’s no get-out-of-jail free on this one):

1. Have an awesome boss
   I “rested my eyes” in a one-on-one with my boss once. Guy is so cool he still makes fun of me.
2. Acknowledge the faux-pax…
   This is where the Cubicle Fu master reaches inward to his center, finds the zen place where everything happens for a reason, and simply admits, “Hey, I’m sorry. I had a late one…”
3. … and either recommit to consciousness, …
   “… I’m sorry about that. Ok, I’m back. Please continue.”
4. … or request a regroup.
   “… I’m sorry I’m struggling here. It’s important that we have this discussion. Would it be ok if I went to grab a cup of coffee/juice/water so I can refocus?” You’ll likely get a “yes” and the walk will do you as much good as the liquid.
5. And always keep a sense of humor.
   Chances are, you just looked silly, so laugh a little at yourself. “Oh man, I’m sorry. I thought that only happened in movies, I must look like an idiot. Lemme grab some water down the hall, I’ll be right back, and I promise I’ll reschedule my nap.”

What would you do if you fell asleep in a meeting?