Why else would I just stand there?

In Development, you are always working with people who are in deep concentration.

In a cube environment, walking into someone's workspace and speaking will disrupt that concentration. Growing up down South—Louisiana not San Diego—mom taught me better manners. As a general rule, when I walk into someone's cube or office, I stand quietly and wait. My assumption is that whomever I must interrupt will finish their thought, before finding out why I have darkened their door.

This worked very, very well for many, many years—then I became a manager.

Today, when I approach members of my team in this way, they either think they are in trouble—why else would I just stand there and stare at them?—or they simply do not realize that I am there. In the latter case, they eventually turn around, become startled, jump or fall from their seat, and end up calling me words I would rather not repeat.

Something similar happens when I visit other managers. They think I am there with bad news or that I am angry with them. Why else would I just stand there?

To each of my teams, I take this opportunity to say...

Chill out. I am only trying to be polite—most of the time.