Tricks to look busy at work

[Alexander's Horse]

1. Always carry a notebook or papers when you are strolling the coridors to stretch your legs.

2. Walk quickly with a fixed expression like you are too busy to chit chat.

3. Scatter papers around your desk. Put a pen on them.

4. Never completely empty your in-tray or out-tray.

5. Always leave some papers in your pidgeon hole.

6. Try to be a bit late for meetings but not too late.

[alva]

Try to get your boss to chit-chit with you for hours, good topics are his last vacation and some of his silly hobby's, kids could do the trick too

[alva]

Have something on stand-by to print out the moment your boss walks in.

[General Ludd]

Rest your head on the phone while holding it and lean on the desk, then take a snooze.

[gunkulator]

Have 20-30 windows open at a time, especially stuff that only tangentially concerns you. Bring one of them to the front to cover the Apolyton window when the boss walks by. It'll look like you take a broad view of your job.

[CerberusIV]

Be the boss! Then people have to knock before they walk into your office so you have time to pick something up and look busy.

[FrustratedPoet]

Have 20-30 windows open at a time, especially stuff that only tangentially concerns you. Bring one of them to the front to cover the Apolyton window when the boss walks by. It'll look like you take a broad view of your job.

I do that.

Scatter papers around your desk. Put a pen on them.

I use this method frequently. The pen is very important. You MUST have the pen.

[Japher]

I check my messages every 30 minutes or so, my boss sees me do this about twice a day... makes him think that I have been away from my desk ... which I should be more than I am.

Type your messages to Poly really loud and really fast.

Have 20-30 windows open at a time, especially stuff that only tangentially concerns you. Bring one of them to the front to cover the Apolyton window when the boss walks by. It'll look like you take a broad view of your job.

I will also mutter a swear word every now and then, then, when my boss hears he will be 'what's wrong?' and I will be 'stupid Windows just lost that huge report, now I have to start all over'...



Honestly, I don't ever try and look busy. You know what they say; if you want something done, give it to a busy person.

[Boris Godunov]

I like the George Costanza method. Just look irritated, and people will always think you are overworked.

[Ming]

The "team" method works well... Book a conference room for the entire day, and have a few of your work buddies stay behind locked doors all day talking sports or whatever. If done properly, you can even order in lunch and have the company pay. Just have a random power point presentation up on a screen, so that when somebody walks in, you can change the discussion to whats on the screen.

[DAVOUT]

All those tricks will not fool for long an experienced supervisor (experienced meaning that the guy was on your chair the year before). What is really useful is to get the reputation of a thinker; then you can do absolutely nothing for hours in a meditative attitude of your own (not acrobatic or ridiculous, but bizarre although comfortable enough to be kept for hours), and everybody will refrain to disturb you. In real emergency, they will always begin by *excuse me*, and you will wait 10 seconds before turning your head toward them, as if you made a terrible effort to extract yourself from deep thoughs.

[Japher]

I think the "Scotty Approach" works too...

Tell your boss that it will take twice as long to do something than you belief it will, then get it done early... You then have the choice to look good, or to post on poly!

The thinker thing works, but eventually they are going to want to see results. Everyone here thinks I am good at math, which I am, so they generally come to me on experiment designs... Pretty much, I don't do a whole lot of my own work, I ussually consult for others, which is really time consuming (hehe)...

My boss is rather non-envolved in what I do, so I like to send him monthly updates on what I have done. It looks like a lot, but it really isn't. The good thing about doing this is that it takes me about 2 (1/2 hour) days to write that report, and my boss never bugs me about stuff... I don't even think he reads it half the time.

[Solly]

I am in an office where we get measured per credit card applications dug/keyed/QCed, so there is no real way to cheat.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Boddington's
I am in an office where we get measured per credit card applications dug/keyed/QCed, so there is no real way to cheat.

Used to do a similar job, but the criteria were how many you entered accruately, not how fast... I started off blazingly fast and was told to do it properly on more than 1 occassion.

Couldn't stand that job. Boss was a 2 faced 8itch.

Can't think of any tips. Typically I am always busy - that's the British workplace though, long hours and low productivity.


Oh yeah! Strolling around with a load of scrap paperwork, "dropping" it and then "resorting" it.

[Solly]

Used to do a similar job, but the criteria were how many you entered accruately, not how fast... I started off blazingly fast and was told to do it properly on more than 1 occassion.

Mistakes will always creep in. I'm the quickest there and at the moment, judging by the QC process, highly accurate as well. Might have to ask for a pay rise.

Well I work 9am-3pm so I have no complaints there. Given that we avoid a lunch hour with those hours, I am at work for six hours and get paid for six. Previously it was 9-5. "At" work for eight hours, and getting paid for seven (lunch hour!). Plus took longer travelling home on bus. This way seems to make more sense.

Oh yeah! Strolling around with a load of scrap paperwork, "dropping" it and then "resorting" it.

I don't want a clumsy reputation...

Actually I prefer being busy; makes you feel like you've contributed and makes time flow quicker anyway.

One neat trick I found is to have toilet breaks outside of planned tea breaks, and to get a drink outside of your breaks as well. Oh, and when going for a drink, take a tray and offer to get other people's.

gts you away from the desk and shows you are working as a team.