Desk bombing? Why it’s good to talk.

Desk bombing seems to have become the most recent buzzword to hit the workplace. It’s a phrase that appeared recently in a Financial Times feature where highlighted the incident of a worker who’d received no response to emails they’d sent to someone in the same office. It was suggested that they walk over and get the matter resolved but the worker refused, saying they didn’t want to “desk bomb” their colleague.

The idea is to encourage workers to think about whether they need to get up from their desk to discuss something with a colleague or if what they want to ask can be put in an email. To critics, the one-on-one is considered a waste of work time and 'intrusive', with mailing or messaging being preferable and less invasive. To others though, face-to-face contact is part of being human and an essential part of a flourishing workplace culture.

Communicating with co-workers has always been fundamental to building and maintaining strong working relationships and in creating a healthy working culture. So what’s changed? Is it that working from home has somehow damaged working relationships? Do some workers now feel uncomfortable or anxious interacting with colleagues and clients face-to-face after working on their own during lockdown? Do employees who prefer being ‘left alone’ really welcome the idea of desk bombing becoming an HR or contractual issue if someone turns up at their desk unscheduled?

We all have moments when we’re really under pressure and don't want to be disturbed so its important to recognise personal space.  If someone looks totally engrossed in what they’re doing or are wearing headphones it's a sign that they don’t need or want to be disturbed. That's all good but we need to remember that it’s impossible to build a strong team if some of its members are unable or unwilling to talk to others.

Good communication is an essential tool in maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organisation and conversations with co-workers are an important aspect in creating a healthy work environment. 

Personally, after the last few years working from home with endless Zoom calls, actually talking face-to-face seems a far more enjoyable method of communication - as well as being more efficient by not generating a long and unwarranted email trail.