I think I accidentally fixed our office's toxic positivity problem.
By @judekay · Work
I started a 'Wall of Gripes' in a hidden corner for people to leave anonymous, petty work complaints. Now it's the most popular spot on our floor and morale has never been better.
The full story
My company is deep into the corporate wellness, "we're a family" sort of culture, where you feel this immense pressure to be perpetually cheerful. It's exhausting. We have 'Mindfulness Mondays' but god forbid you say you're having a bad day. On a whim, I bought a small corkboard and pinned it up in the alcove by the fire exit, completely out of sight. I wrote "The Void Gazes Back: Whisper Your Petty Grievances" on a piece of paper and tacked it on. My first contribution was, "The coffee in the breakroom tastes like melted pennies." I didn't think anyone would even see it. A week later, I peeked and there were three other notes. "The north-side printer doesn't have a paper jam, it senses fear" and "I have been on an email chain for three years that should have been one 15-minute meeting." It snowballed. It became our secret, hilarious, cathartic space. The best part is, people started leaving solutions or funny comments. Someone taped a bag of good coffee beans next to the 'pennies' note with the comment "A gift from the void." Someone else put a printed-out map of the parking garage with the best spots circled. My manager found it last week. My heart sank, I thought I was about to get a lecture on professionalism. Instead, she just stood there reading for a solid minute, let out a loud snort-laugh, and walked away. The next day, there was a new note on the board in her distinct handwriting: "I approve more budget for 'team-building' than for actual raises. Make it make sense." For the first time, it feels like we can be actual humans here.
How people voted
- Bad Move — 34% (74 votes)
- Needs Context — 39% (84 votes)
- Reasonable — 27% (57 votes)
Readers are split: “Needs Context” leads with 39% — 215 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@zoeyok — This is unironically the healthiest form of team-building I've ever seen. Good for you all!
@chloebean — lol my old job did 'High-Five Fridays' and it was the most miserable hour of the week.
@reeseyk — If you have a problem at work you should have the guts to say it to someone's face.
@didieven — ok now make a wall of bad lunch smells
@willakk — Soft culture.
Keep reading
- I took a pay cut so my coworker could keep his job.
- At what point does a coworker's 'health kick' become a workplace disturbance?
- My coworkers made a group chat without me to complain about me.
- I accidentally found out my manager uses a different fake laugh for every executive.
- Every time I go to the office coffee bar someone tries to pay for my drink.