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Nudged out of my office- A Liberating Loss!

Yesterday I had to empty my lovely office room in Golden Square Vittal Mallya Road Branch. I do not have a dedicated office room for myself anymore. I have been using this room for the last 10 years, and a couple of days back I was politely asked by my colleagues in Golden Square to hand it over because an important client needed office space and we did not have any available in this Branch.


I had mixed feelings yesterday while I was clearing out the room. I felt liberated while I also felt a sense of loss.


Working from Home

Liberated because though I often work from home, and use any of the Golden Square branches for meetings, there is always this feeling that I am not in “my office”. Now by giving that away I felt liberated, I do not have to go to the office, I can be wherever I need to be, whichever place is most convenient for me and people I am meeting. 

My favorite place for "thinking type" of work:
For example my most favorite place to work especially if I need some thinking time, is the Koramangala Branch of Golden Square in the business lounge- First thing in the morning, in the terrace, surrounded by lush green trees and cool breeze, it relaxes me and gets the best in me, I specially enjoy a cup of tea here in this nurturing environment. In such an atmosphere I can do inspired work. When meeting the members of my business network, I prefer to meet at their offices, I get a better sense of their business and they are so much more comfortable sharing about their business and what they need. I am mentally more tuned to focus my attention on how I can help them when I meet at their workspace. Right now I am writing this blog in my home, surrounded by greenery, I can see the green through the open french window, listen to birds chirping and I am in casual clothes which do help in getting all the creative juices flowing in my mind. 

The best business center in Bangalore-
Sometimes I have very important client meetings, where I need to make a first impression, that is when I choose Davanam Golden Square Prime Branch, which in my opinion is the best Business Centre in town. When I need to showcase how a business centre needs to be designed, especially to building owners, I take them to Golden Square JP Nagar Branch, our latest, the buzz thereof new companies and the activity happening in the calm yet productive space always charges me up.


I think my colleagues in Golden Square Vittal Mallya Road Branch noticed that I have anyway been working from all over so I really did not need dedicated office space, so they wanted to make better use of my office room. However, while emptying the office room yesterday I did feel a sense of loss. This was one space I could say was my own. I had a map of Bangalore on the wall, where I had marked all the locations Golden Square would be expanding to. I had my BNI mementos, and a painting of Lord Ganesha I had made a few decades back. Yes, a lot of attachments. I had a shelf of books, including books I treasured from my IIT days, books I have not touched since college. All of this I disposed of. I had a box full of overhead projector slides of trainings I used to do when PPT was not the norm. I discovered the box which had all my Toastmaster best speaker and best evaluator ribbons. I came across project plans which brought back the fascinating businesses and projects I was involved in. I went through Businessgyan Magazine issues which brought back the heady days when I was a happening magazine publisher and the memories of the fantastic team we had in businessgyan magazine. I had to decide which items to keep to remind me of those days because more than the things it is the memories of the experiences that matter. In a way, while I was getting rid of things, I felt that I was also clearing space in my mind for new possibilities and adventures, making room in my mind.

I will miss the fact that I had a dedicated place to go for work without asking anyone if a meeting room was available. However, now I am free, free to be wherever is the best place to be in. I guess this is the feeling of Golden Square’s virtual office clients have, and I am experiencing the same feeling of freedom. I can be in any of Golden Square’s 4 branches. Suddenly I feel 4 is not enough, I better get going and start a lot more branches, create more invigorating and convenient locations for work.

Comments

AWESOME thoughts Balaji!
You are really smart and intelligent
It is a pleasure knowing you!
Gopu
kishor jagirdar said…
This is inspiring balaji. my incubation business is heading in the same direction
Simha said…
Interesting insights Balaji....
Iyengar said…
Simple and effective write up. Appreciate the sharing
keerthy said…
My interview happened here and I'd always remember that space as your office sir :)

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