The Work Voice
I’m guilty of it. You’re guilty of it. We all have at one time or another answered our personal cell phone while working. And, unless you are Eric, you probably answered in what as known as: The Work Voice. You know the low tone “I’m trying to sound professional so I won’t alert the boss that I am having a personal call” voice. This phenomenon mostly occurs during the early months of employment, and has been known to overflow into lunch breaks.
Recently I have mostly abandoned the use of the work voice. I have gotten to know the upper echelon of management, and I in addition I have the advantage of being “The Intern!1″ I have, however, learned that there are still some areas that are considered “Work Voice Zones.” Specifically, certain attorneys or partners in my firm seem to carry an AOE (Area of Effect) WVZ. It is also to my advantage that instead of answering the phone and being ridiculed (by Eric); I can simply not answer the phone and call the party back when I am out of a “Work Voice Zone”.
Work Voice Zones are not only limited to places where you work. I submit that these entities extend into other parts of the world. Examples are the waiting room in Doctor’s offices, Libraries, Classrooms, courtrooms, and the conference rooms where I work. It’s hard to escape using the work voice in these areas mainly because we have been conditioned to do so. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just funny.
Eric said,
March 21, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
Dude, jeremy, you rox. I love the work voice. Though I have been known to tease people for using it, I’m usually sad cause it means we can’t have a rather inane conversation… that is to say, it will have to be focused on something worth the wrath of the employer asking about the phone call. And, as many of you know, thats not usually why Eric calls.
You do get extra bonus points for usage of the AOE (Area of effect) acronym. It’s all about teaching these non-gamers the acronyms that matter.
e's wife said,
March 21, 2006 @ 4:32 pm
hmm, work voice…………won’t it be nice to be able to answer the phone at work…………..
as a teacher, my work voice definitely changes - some days it’s yelling, others it’s the silent treatment, and still others (when the principal walks in) are calm soothing tones that you could almost fall asleep to (yeah right).
oh yeah, and I believe Eric probably doesn’t get offended when you don’t answer the phone. If I were you, or anybody else for that matter, I wouldn’t answer the phone in an AOE.