Workplace culture

I find it increasingly paradoxical that the "grown up" world of suits and offices and job titles is the one that encourages you to remain childish. You are not really encouraged to say what you think, you pass responsibility up to the grown ups above you and you are rarely able to be held accountable for your decisions.

On the other hand in the supposedly childish online world of forums, blogs and wikis you have to be prepared to say what you think, be prepared to stand by it and jusfity it in a debate and if you have fucked up your written thinking is there for all to see forever.

I wonder when the grown ups will get this?

Technorati Tags: organizations, work, management, blogs, socialcomputing

Comments

[Tom Reynolds]

Bloody excellent, and very trueful, thought.

[DCS]

Whoa! I found the link to this post on Tom Reynolds' site. I echo his sentiments.

[Nickleblaster]

and so do I

[David House]

Nicely said.

[Nic]

And if that's what defines being a grown-up, I'm not sure I want to be one!

[Muppetlord]

Probably when hell freezes over. Came here from Random Acts of Reality.

[Vic]

Pass the play-doh.

[Jon Husband]

Such a great post. I have wandered around for years saying that the workplace is the adult version of grade school (primary school), with report cards, homework, peer pressure, etc.)

Bloody goofy, actually.

Did you know that Lego has been involved in the world of organizational decvelopment for the past three years or so, with an offering called Lego Serious Play ?

A few years ago I actually went to a few workshops when they were trying to sign-up distributors. I liked the approach, the tools and the techniques .., but it was the issue of the genral culture(s) of bogh organizations that got in the way of further interest on my part.

Bit too seriously childish for me, really.

[Spike]

Excellent post.

Jon said: the workplace is the adult version of grade school (primary school)

Dead right.

[Sage]

Too true about the workplace being like a school, it's even complete with the regulation bully and discriminating dress code...

[Dannie Jost]

Excellent. Well, they will get it eventually. I think some pranksters have a name for such people, they call them "late arrivals" or "late adopters" (however the two expressions are not equivalent).

What you so beautifully phrased corresponds to an observation that I have made before and have been testing ever since. Indeed the continued presence (of the post online) can only be managed through personal integrity and authenticity. To me, this is great news, and I'll never grow up, so I'll keep on writing what I think. Anyhow, I have no fantasy what-so-ever and run out of fabricated stuff much too quickly.

[Shola Ogunlokun]

Short but so to the point!

Look forward to the day.

[Stuart Sutherland]

Great post Euan. Feels so right about some of the places I've worked. But I have to disagree with the commenters who've said that the workplace is the adult version of the school. In our schools, our children are expected to comply with a relentless pace of work (with no coffee or water cooler breaks when they want them) and responsibility for their work vastly in excess of what the majority of office-bound adults have to.

[Richard S]

I found a Harvard Business Review paper on "Passive-aggressive organisations":

"People pay lip service putting in only enough effort to appear compliant. Employees feel free to do as they please because there are hardly ever unpleasant consequences, and the directives are often misguided and thus seem worthy of defiance. Making matters worse, senior management has left unclear where accountability lies in effect absolving managers of final responsibility for anything they do. Those with initiative wait interminably for the go ahead and their actions when finally taken are accompanied by a chorus of second guessing, a poor but understandable substitute for the satisfaction of accomplishing the task in hand".....

Hmmm. Remind you of anywhere?

[Euan]

Hmmm .... does sound vaguely familiar from somewhere in my dim and distant past!

:-)

[cruvvers]

I was watching the 'Chimp Week' series of programmes on BBC1 the other week...how many parallels can be drawn between life in a chimpanzee clan and corporate life?

Bloody loads...manic running around, beating of chests, displays of (perceived) superiority through making yourself look big and strong, and the kicker - not doing much for most of the day.

Maybe that's just the places I've worked ;)

[tom]

Bang on euan. enjoy yr liberation!

[Jon Husband]

There was a management / org behaviour book out about fiteen years ago titled "Monkey See, Monkey Do"", with a bunch of chimps/monkeys sitting on the various steps of an upright folding ladder

[Jon Husband]

... on the front cover.

[Bernie]

Hi Euan

How are you doing out there?

[Nic Price]

Bernie, this photo might answer your question ;-)

[Mike Harper]

Exeactly. This is one reason I prefer to work as a contractor. The employment relationship has a paternalist quality to it.