My latest read is How Google Works. It’s a book full of awesome nuggets on productivity and hiring and holding on to good people. While the authors are proponents of collaborative and open workspace, they also acknowledge that every now and again, people need to focus. Amen!
But as we all know, this is not as easy as it sounds. A few weeks back, Natalie and her team gave us a great (and humorous!) idea. But if Beast Mode won’t go over well in your context, how about a set of pleasant door signs like the ones I recently spotted at Rocketship Education in California?
Let’s take a peek!
Here’s a full shot of the door with with the sign set at “Orange.” It politely reads, “Feel free to knock if you have a quick need or question, otherwise, check back in a little bit!”
And what about the other options?
Green: “Come right on in, how can we help you today?”
Red: “Looks like we’re in a meeting, feel free to email or check back in a half-hour. We’ll get back to you then!”
Yellow: “Feel free to knock and we’ll happily open the door for you!”
A system like this could be useful if you have closed door offices and/or if people are prone to “turkey necking” by to grab you.
More things I love: You can spot the color from a distance. The language is quite friendly, which helps offset not being 100% available at the drop of a hat. I’ve also seen some folks post their actual schedules outside their doors. I could even see how something like this might be useful in my own basement home-office for our babysitter, my husband or my kids.
