| Written by Amy Storer-Scalia, on 03-09-2007 13:03 |
The Thick Office Politics of Thin Mints
Although Girl Scout cookie selling time is an annual rite of passage in many offices, for others, it's a grueling ordeal every bit as competitive as climbing the corporate ladder.
What do you do when Bob, your cubicle neighbor, brings in Ashley,
his daughter, carrying a puppy dog pout, invoice sheet and cookie order
form? She wants to know if you'd rather have the Caramel deLites or the
"Do-si-dos." You say you'd rather just stick with the Thin Mints, the
perennial best- seller? Well, of course you would. That's a given.
Ashley wants to know what you'd like for your second box.
Uh oh. You forgot that Susan, the receptionist, has a cookie sign up
sheet on her desk at the front door. Don't even bother trying to
explain the ethical and personal relationship questions of why you'd
buy from Bob's daughter but not Susan's. You did know that they are
having an inter-office competition, didn't you? Along with Carl down
the hall, whose daughter, Amanda, sold more than 1,000 boxes last year
and got her picture in the local newspaper. But don't worry about that.
There are bigger concerns.
What happens when Jerry, your boss, posts his daughter's cookie order
invoice outside his door? Well, duh. You buy some more cookies. Are you
an idiot? A little face time with Jerry, some chuckling over "kids
these days" and some points for supporting his daughter's troop. Who
wants to pass up a chance like that?
It's just that some people feel a certain pressure when the boss'
cookie shop opens. You don't think Jerry, Susan or Carl will be miffed
if you don't buy a box this year? Try again.
You soon find yourself rationalizing that freezer full of cookies with
the fact that the process teaches young girls about responsibility,
planning and confidence. Yes, it is true that selling cookies allows
these young girls to interact with the public and raise money for
worthwhile causes. But if you think about it, unless Ashley is there in
the office with her cute pouty face, it's really the parents selling
for their kids.
Because fundraisers inevitably cause corporate ladder and financial
pressures on employees, some companies are starting to enforce a strict
"no solicitations" policy. That way, they objectively don't have to
explain why one fundraiser is fine while another is inappropriate.
According to Bill Truesdell, president of Management Advantage Inc.,
many more people these days are asking their HR department to adopt a
"no solicitations" policy in their office. That way, they don't make
little Ashley cry, Susan the receptionist doesn't accidentally
mis-route their calls because she lost the inter-office competition and
they earn points with Jerry for stellar reports, not a four-year supply
of Thin Mints.
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