Even if the fire alarm goes off, and there is actually a fire. The instruction is to leave in an orderly fashion, remain calm and everyone gets will out safely. Imagine if everyone runs as soon as the fire alarm goes off….. chaos, pandemonium and panic. No-one gets out alive!
So, if getting out in a fire is not important enough to run in the office, then going to a meeting – even if you are late, prepping for a pitch, desperate for the loo, there is still absolutely no need to run.
Headless chicken, blue-arsed fly whatever you wish to call it, running instills an image of you out of control, unprepared, not coping and badly managing. Your colleagues will be very distracted by you, and your panic can permeate to them, making the office tense.
We are all busy, we all have emails to deal with, difficult meetings to prepare for. Demanding clients, demanding colleagues – everyone needs your time – you need everyone else’s time…… it is called work. So jolly well get on with it in a professional, calm, controlled manner. And leave running at work to the Usain Bolts and Mo Farahs of this world.
N Moss
