Does A CEO Need A Cabin?
Table of Contents
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
“How would you feel if your CEO and other top executives sat next to you in the office”
Many would shudder at this thought and have performance anxiety were this their reality. But does a CEO really need a cabin?
A CEO is responsible for the management of an organisation and oversees the administration and overall operations. If they sat in their cabin all day, would they know what was going on at the ground level? Are the employees happy?
Not having a cabin would prompt the CEO to sit with their employees and directly overlook the company affairs. In the words of our Managing Partner at QSS Global, Mr. Karan Singh, “A boss should make their cabin as uncomfortable as possible, remove the AC and the fan, if the boss is not comfortable in their cabin, they would be with their subordinates, mentoring them and supervising them..”
Problems associated
A Glass Cabin, though looks fancy and classy, reduces access of an employee to their boss. It forms not only a physical barrier but also a communication barrier. The CEO might not be aware of what his employees are going through and what are the issues they are facing. While in the absence of a cabin, they are aware of the situation on the ground. It also removes the unnecessary bureaucratic procedures for employees to have an appointment with the CEO.
Benefits of No Cabin
The absence of a cabin for a CEO has certain advantages for employees also. Having no cabin shatters a sense of privilege. Breaking that barrier and having your boss at your good disposal motivates the employees, eventually boosting productivity. Small things like having a snack together or small talks over coffee go a long way in reassuring the employees that their boss has their back. Your boss becomes a symbol of social equality, and you get to see the more human side of your boss.
New-age CEOs don’t want to be confined to a corner office; they are used to having spontaneous conversations with their teams. For them, a cabin would make them feel like a prisoner. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the Paytm CEO, is one example of leading his team from the front by having his desk among his colleagues.
Demerits of No Cabin
While there are a lot of perks of no cabins for CEOs, it does ask us whether there are demerits of no cabins? Due to the nature of their job, CEOs have to handle many confidential matters of the company which can’t be dealt with in the open. So, where is the necessary privacy? Another drawback of no cabins could be the noise and chaos the CEO would need to deal with while working in the open. They make critical decisions every other day; wouldn’t they require peace of mind to face those challenges. Here, maybe the company could work on a hybrid model where the CEO only “visits” their cabin or perhaps a meeting room while spending the rest of the day among the team.
Your boss is also a human, and they need that human connection to know more about the people they are working with. It would help generate empathy at both ends when everybody sees how everybody is working. This only knits all together. All in all, the pros of having no cabin outweigh the cons. Maybe the organisations could work on a hybrid model. Finally, it is up to the organisation to decide what system fits them well and what to adopt.