The Thermostat (Office Cold Wars #1)

Some people are cold. Some people are hot.

Many offices have either a thermostat on the wall or a remote control for the air conditioning – once it's found, hidden under papers on a random desk.

Right now, somewhere in an open-plan office, one person is sitting in a jumper, wondering why the air conditioning is on. Another person feels hot, wondering if the temperature could be decreased.

The topic is brought up.

"It's freezing in here."

(It's an exaggeration. But it makes the point.)

A quick reply comes in:

"Really? I'm boiling."

Also an exaggeration, but with an added element of surprise in the voice, aimed at quickly counteracting the freezing comment and ensuring the temperature isn't increased.

It becomes clear that your colleagues, who you spend 37 hours a week with, feel temperature differently – and the solution isn't going to be as simple as a quick adjustment of the temperature control, with everyone suddenly happy.

Occasionally, someone walks past the thermostat, pauses, looks around the office, and makes a temperature change in full view. The audacity. The bravery. The nerve. The confidence.

Everyone notices. Nobody says anything.

A 2021 study of nearly 39,000 office workers found that 38% were dissatisfied with their office temperature. Interestingly, some office temperature standards go back to formulas modelled on the assumed comfort of a 40-year-old, 154-pound male – which perhaps helps explain things.

Most people understand that their colleagues simply feel temperature differently. But understanding doesn't solve the temperature-based problem.

Eventually, the conversation stops, but the frustration with the temperature doesn't. The silent battle starts. People wait for the discreet moment to adjust the control.

So the goal isn't to find the perfect temperature. It's about finding a workable compromise – perhaps the most preferred temperature amongst colleagues, moving a desk out of the direct airflow, or purchasing a desk fan.

It's often the small things that decide whether people feel comfortable somewhere. And if something as simple as the temperature can become a daily source of frustration, perhaps making people feel expected, welcomed and considered from the moment they arrive isn't such a small thing after all.

That's part of why I created WelcomeChapter – to help people feel expected, welcomed and considered from the moment they arrive, before the small stuff even has a chance to become a big deal.