As a reporter, I have the most satisfactory job in the past 24 years, is to write a series of articles about the famous chief executive officer's office, which is no doubt. I called them and tried to persuade them to allow me to visit their desks, home photos and bookshelf. Most people are wise to refuse. But a small number of people agreed, they either because of my no suspicion, either because of vanity. Therefore, in a very short period of time, I was able to indulge their nosy nature -- and can therefore get paid.
To pry into one's office, feeling better than the bathroom cabinets. Not only was I able to disparage their color scheme, but also play an armchair psychologist, the interpretation of the meaning.
Former GEC strict supervisor Lord Weinstock (Lord Weinstock) sitting in near darkness in the office, only a bunch of weak light to illuminate his desk. The light switch is surrounded by a ring of dirt. So I came to the conclusion that he was too sick to be sick, and even the lights didn't even want to drive, let alone the decoration of the room.
When he was Secretary of the British Petroleum (BP) owner Robert • Robert Horton Horton proudly explained, in order to reduce the visitors sense of fear of meeting with him, he asked people to the ceiling of his vast office specially lowered. However, the main exhibits on the shelf is his leather diary, the diary can be traced back to 10 years or more. The conclusion I made to him is: pride, from the reality. A few months later, he was fired by the British oil for pride and detachment. Hey, you don't know how proud I was.
In my office series sign off after 15 years (sorry, because too few people are willing to accept an interview), I found that can use a word to describe: Science of snooping -- and it is a right way and wrong practices of science. Oh, it seems that I am happy to see when the way, the method is completely wrong. And the basis is a fascinating book: "a glimpse of how things reflect personality", author Sam • Gauss Lin is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas.
The first thing I did was to sit in a chair in the chair for the visitors, which meant that the office I had seen was the way people wanted me to see. A good snoop will to go and sit behind a desk, look below have piles of shoes, flip trash are some what. However, in view of the respondents who have been on tenterhooks, this approach may be difficult.
According to Gauss Lin, a professional spy must be careful not to jump to conclusions. Take photos as an example. First of all, it should be noted that the photos are for the host or visitors. If the desk family face, it may be saying: look at me is what a wonderful family man.
If the photo is facing, it may be to remind the owner that he has a happy family if he is willing to go home to see his family.
In order to leave a deep impression on the visitors placed photos, does not always produce the desired effect. I remember when he was British Airways chairman Jin Xunjue (King Lord) had taken me to visit his office wall hanging photos. "That's me and the pope...... That's me in the White House Office of the president and Bush, and me and Graham (Billy Graham). That is when I'm on vacation and Reagan's photo "-- in the last photo, the businessman and the former president of the United States are dressed in jeans, riding on horseback. Lord king was trying to tell me, he is an important man, but what he actually told me, he is a very snobbish villain, show and celebrity make and obnoxious.
Photos can also play the role of emotion regulation, so that we feel better. I sat next to his colleagues he and a friend of the boating lake photos for computer screen. He did not look very good in this picture, but he liked it, because it reminded him of the happy afternoon he had had with his friends. When he is working hard at his desk, this idea can make him emotionally.
In addition, the interpretation of the meaning of an item represented by an item placed on the desk may be wrong.
In fact, we can't draw any conclusions from a neat desk, unless there is other evidence to prove it. The desk tidy may be conscientious; it may be just the opposite. Don't put each clip according to the size of the arranged in neat rows will not begin to work, but is in the work needs to be done trying to delay the arrival of times of pain.
Gauss Lin said, more reliable is, an office can tell you how a person's thinking is how enlightened. If someone has a diverse collection of books, and often read, this shows that he is open to new ideas. But this proposal for me not: I have visited all the office almost all books, may in addition to a not read "the pursuit of excellence", the book at that time quite popular.
What bothers me most is not the employees who have left many conflicting clues, but those who have left no clues. One of my colleagues did not have any items on the table, not even a pencil. Just now, with the guts of a spy, I went to see him. There's nothing in the two drawer. There are 6 pens in the top drawer. Beside the pencil is the only clue I got: a pack of half of all the heat.
(from the British "Financial Times" website, author: Lucy • Kellaway (Lucy Kellaway))