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I believe there is nothing as simple yet as complex as selling girl-scout cookies in the office.
If you are a manager and you ask your staff if they want to buy some are being a bully? If you buy from a manager but not from a fellow staff member are you a kiss-ass? What happens to office dynamics if you buy from co-worker “girl-scout parent A” but not from co-worker “girl-scout parent B”? If you say no to everybody, how big of a jerk will you be viewed as?
Here are nine ways (both good and bad) I’ve seen girl-scout cookies sold in the office:
The Good
- The Santa Claus. Usually a supervisor or manager. They ask everybody in the office what they want and then they buy them exactly what they want as gifts.
- The Provider of Snacks. Also usually a supervisor or manager. They buy a variety of boxes then open them up for everybody in the office to have as snacks.
- The Charity Case. They buy from one or several people in the office then give the boxes to a local charity.
- The Pleaser. Buys exactly the same amount of boxes from everybody who asks so as not to offend anybody.
The Bad
- The Wait at Your Desk Until You Choose. You know who you are. You stand by my desk with the order form and refuse to leave until I buy something from you. If my stapler was stronger I’d shoot staples at you to shoo you away.
- The Stalker. As the order form deadline approaches, you’ll see them check off their list of who hasn’t bought anything yet and then they start stalking them one by one.
- The Rememberer. Hey Joe, remember when I helped you find the printer toner ten years ago…
- The Dieter. They politely say no to everybody because they are on a diet, yet their diet seems to start and stop with girl-scout cookie season.
The Worst
- The Flake. They happily order several boxes of cookies yet never remember to bring the money into the office to pay you.
What office girl-scout cookie experiences have you had?
