Desk Bombing

Have you been ‘desk bombed’? 

 

Has the phrase even entered your vocabulary? 

 

It’s a term that entered HR terminology in 2022 and can be attributed to changes in working practises and preferences since returning to the office after the Covid-19 lockdown. 

 

Desk bombing doesn't sound very pleasant, and for some employees, it isn't. In a nutshell, desk bombing is the act of approaching a colleague at work unprompted, un-announced and without warning. For an unscheduled chat. 

 

Desk bombing gets shit done. It’s as simple as that. And the notion of having to schedule meetings for every talk around the office seems bizarre to me to be quite frank. 

 

William Robins, Editor at City Amplify says: “I am a desk bomber. Also a coffee machine highwayman. Truly, getting Teams meeting can be a struggle – next Tuesday any good? – but that same person will happily chat in the kitchen”. 

 

Similarly, Peter Weatherhead, Director of Programme Management at Peacock says: “Guilty as charged; I’m a desk-bomber! But what’s the point of being back in the office if you can’t go and speak to people?” 

 

Speaking to people at their desks was once part of everyday office life, a welcome, social aspect of workplace culture. Of course, there will always be some that would see it as an intrusion, but for the most part, it’s an expected part of office life – and certainly not worthy of a buzzword. 

 

What changed? Basically, two reasons can explain it: (1) Our mental health, and (2) Changes to working practices.

 

Around two-thirds of adults and young people have reported that their mental health has worsened since March 2020. Mental health issues aren’t always visible. Some people in your business are still healing or perhaps struggling, and entering their space uninvited could trigger anxiety. 

 

Whilst this is the more extreme of the two points we’re focusing on, there will also be those who prefer the new digital way of working, structure their day, and do not wish to be interrupted. 

 

Research suggests that 76% of Millennials have telephone anxiety, so if speaking over the phone causes stress, imagine the impact unexpected face-to-face interaction could have. 

 

This isn’t to say that it is only the younger generations impacted. In a Financial Times article, owner of a phone use consultancy firm, Mary Jane Copps, suggests that we’ve been “talking with our thumbs” since the Blackberry arrived in the 1990s. 

 

Is the desk bomber to be encouraged or discouraged, you may ask? 

 

This is a matter of opinion, but there is a case to make in defence of the desk bomber. 

 

Technology makes it easy to hide from your colleagues. How often have you been told, “your email only just came through”? 

 

Every employee has their workload to manage and their own priorities. Whilst this is to be expected, when one employee’s tasks are hindered by a colleague who isn’t responding, it’s hardly surprising that they may feel the need to ‘desk bomb’ when the opportunity arises to facilitate a resolution. 

 

As an employer, would you not prefer your workforce to be proactive? The phrase 'seek forgiveness; not permission' also springs to mind. 

 

Methinks, this is all an overhyped buzz phrase.

 

So, desk-bombing? Do it. Offices should be open and collaborative spaces where people feel comfortable to actually talk to other people and not hide behind a desk or email account. Set an example to your peers and desk-bomb the hell out of them.