Cubicle-Fu

If you need that extra time in the morning, but don’t feel like calling it a sick day, you can use your Cubicle Fu powers for evil… make it a half day!

1. Call in and say you’ll be late coming in, but you’ll stay late to make up for it
2. Unless you use a punch card system, when the rest of the office kicks off at 6, nobody will see you leave at 6:15
   (if 6:15 is past your usual check-out time, then technically you’re leaving late anyway)
3. You can also ACTUALLY stay late if you want.
   Some people (like me) get more done later in the day so rolling in at 10:30 and staying till 7:30 is actually better for everyone

Note: This will absolutely backfire if:

• You actually have work to do and are flaking on it
• You get caught and you work at the kind of place that frowns on “lying”
• Your Cubicle Fu Masters hear about it (for this is not the path of honor)
• You are actually lazy and use this strategy as one of many weasely strategies to get out of doing real work

Selecting a team is part of every Cubicle Fu Master’s life, no matter where they are on the ladder. Whether a team for a side project, or just gathering the right people in a meeting, at some point you pick people who you trust at your side.

Most of us probably pick the shiniest baubles in the room: the good looking, always been successful, in great shape, nice teeth kind of people. These people are successful, so they probably know how to help you, right?

According to this article, “Why I never hire brilliant men,” the better pick is quite the opposite.

Why would you want to pick that guy or girl who was always last pick in high-school sports? At first glance, they’re awkward, and seem to have to put in more effort than others. Well, according to the article, it’s precisely because of that adversity that these are the men and women you want on your project team today. These are the people who have had to work hard through adversity (read: getting bullied in high-school) to get where they are. Someone like this will look past obstacles and plan their success, rather than breaking down when it’s not handed to them.

Success, it seems, is not built by the few bright stars, but by the of hordes of colorful “ordinary” people who know the value of a day’s work. This is your dream team.

Reasons to bus/bike/carpool to work

1. It saves gas, oil, and other gunky stuff.
2. You get exercise whether you walk to the bus or bike the whole way. Exercise and movement improve blood flow, mood, and energy throughout the day.
3. You completely eliminate commuting stress (traffic, ack!).
4. You can catch up on reading, or just read for fun. Reading for pleasure is, well, pleasurable.
5. If you carpool, you can play games and have interesting conversations with people.

When I started a new job about 20 miles South of my home, my commute became a bike then train (with bike) then bike commute. There’s also bus options, but I just like to bike. My energy is up, my mood improves on the ride, and I’ve read more books in the last year of this job than I did in the 3 years previous.

Cubicle Fu masters know that there is much they do not know, so if you know of other transportation tips or reasons to go off the highway, leave a comment below to share your ideas. I’d love to change up my bike ride, or find ways to avoid cars on days when I need to carry a big box or heavy load.
Other resources:

• Bike to Work Month
• Google Transit
• Lots of environmental and other tips in the World Changing Book