The Politics of New Monitors and Water Coolers
I work in a smallish company. There are only like 70 people working here. The experience has been overwhelmingly positive so far. I think this is because we only seem to have capable people working here. I've said it before, I was the genus at my old job and I'm the dumb-ass here. That is how it feels sometimes anyway.
Since I got here, I've noticed a couple of lines on my starboard monitor. Yes many developers here have two monitors. It does make programming go faster. My old company gave the vast majority of people two monitors. I thought that was a waist on some tasks. Well, the lines got a bit worse over time, but not too bad. I mean, I was still able to get my job done. I decided not to complain until it was out of reason.
Well, Last Friday the big boss comes on the PA and says "If you have a crummy monitor come to lab X." I got up and went over. I was the only one that showed. He and I walked back to my office and I showed him the lines on one of my monitors. He agreed it was annoying and offered me two new monitors. "You need a matching pare." he says.
"Sweet!" I say. In my head any way. "Thank you sir." Is how it sounded in my outside voice.
I was so distracted with the thought of getting new monitors that I accidentally dropped the name of someone else up here who needed new monitors. He had needed them longer than I've been here. He ended up getting some new monitors too. Pretty cool deal.
Here is the politics part. After the monitor exchange was said and done, I went over to the other employee and apologized for dropping his name. These things can go either way. You have to be careful what you ask for. That is true any where you go. Any time you are dealing with people, you have to know who you are talking to. You have to choose your battles. Sometimes they choose you.
At my old office, hardware that had anything wrong with it was pretty easy to replace. You just called the support number and they would replace or fix most things that were actually "bad" without too much trouble. Plenty of hardware to go around, not too many politics except when you are talking large quantities, or specific budgets.
Water coolers were unheard of at my old office. At least, mostly. I used to be on the first floor. Just as I moved up to the third floor, the first floor got a water cooler. It was hidden in a corner out of sight. The reason I move to the third floor was to make room for a bunch of big-wigs taking our office space. That is why the water cooler showed up. Most of the rest of the crew stayed on the first floor. They got to use the water cooler as long as things didn't get out of hand.
The politics here is keeping something quiet that is not exactly a corporate secret. Here at this job, I have three water coolers within a stones throw. One just in the hallway and two more adjacent to the lunch/party/big meeting room that I'm next to. There is a plentiful supply of water coolers so, no real politics to it.
It is the classic guns and butter scenario. Only in this example it is monitors and water coolers.