Comments on: How Not to Boost Employee Morale http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/ For People Who Want to Be Awesomely Productive Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:26:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sudie Lantigua http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-8681 Sudie Lantigua Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:34:59 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-8681 It can be a very important subject and overlooked by so many writers, even professionals. I appreciate your help making people more aware about this subject. It can be a very important subject and overlooked by so many writers, even professionals. I appreciate your help making people more aware about this subject.

]]> By: Trichome http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-402 Trichome Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-402 Thanks for this timely and witty article. We are experiencing a very similar situation now, and it's dragged on for years. Office politics/gossip, lackey favoritism, doing things because that's the way they've always been done, "I'm in charge", and a complete lack of structure, organization, and communication, but a halfhearted willingness to establish those essentials, are characteristic of ALL our coordinators and upper management. The sad part is, there is a lot of talent in this room... it's just completely suppressed, not cultivated. I stuck around because I saw potential... but now I'm realizing it's not MY company to create, perfect, or destroy. Just in time to retain an ounce of sanity. I'll be striking out on my own very soon. I just cut my personal expenses by half, and have a few million-dollar ideas, plus a new, very fulfilling volunteer position. In six months, it'll be a whole new world. Thanks for this timely and witty article. We are experiencing a very similar situation now, and it’s dragged on for years. Office politics/gossip, lackey favoritism, doing things because that’s the way they’ve always been done, “I’m in charge”, and a complete lack of structure, organization, and communication, but a halfhearted willingness to establish those essentials, are characteristic of ALL our coordinators and upper management.
The sad part is, there is a lot of talent in this room… it’s just completely suppressed, not cultivated. I stuck around because I saw potential… but now I’m realizing it’s not MY company to create, perfect, or destroy. Just in time to retain an ounce of sanity.
I’ll be striking out on my own very soon. I just cut my personal expenses by half, and have a few million-dollar ideas, plus a new, very fulfilling volunteer position. In six months, it’ll be a whole new world.

]]> By: Web 2.0 http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-397 Web 2.0 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:37:38 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-397 I think that its one of the important s part of the manager's work but I never saw one that cares about it in my work experiences, thanks for sharing. I think that its one of the important s part of the manager’s work but I never saw one that cares about it in my work experiences, thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Jarryd http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-366 Jarryd Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:02:01 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-366 A very similar situation with my workplace. We have the Directors, Team Leaders and then the respective staff under the Team Leaders...and it's all pretty much micro-management to the max. The Directors don't really know what's going on with the staff or how work is actually going. The Team Leaders micro-manage the designers/developers and get them to do tasks that the Team Leader could have done (and should be doing). Team Leaders then report to the Directors on how work is going usually lying or saying "we are going over time" or whining about a particular staff member. We have "Work In Progress" meetings which is where we are supposed to discuss how many hours have been spent on a job and the progress on it...but all that happens is the Directors talk to the Team Leader(s) and discuss finances and potential jobs. We waste so much time when we could be so much better. No matter how hard I or other staff members have tried, there is too much office politics going on. Basically Team Leaders kiss the Directors ass and get whatever they want while the actual staff doing all the work constantly are getting moved around or fired. There is a huge turn-over rate with the staff, even the best and most productive staff have been fired for no apparent reason. Oh and that reminds me; the firing process usually goes: Staff member has meeting with one Director and is instructed not to talk about his/her firing. - week lapse - All the other staff members: "Hey, where's John? Haven't seen him in the office for a while" Team Leader: "Oh, he was fired last week" No communication, nice. /endrant Like Patrick says, a good article and not so much comfort, but worrying that finding a workplace is like finding a needle in a haystack. I guess freelancing is always an option :). A very similar situation with my workplace. We have the Directors, Team Leaders and then the respective staff under the Team Leaders…and it’s all pretty much micro-management to the max.

The Directors don’t really know what’s going on with the staff or how work is actually going. The Team Leaders micro-manage the designers/developers and get them to do tasks that the Team Leader could have done (and should be doing).

Team Leaders then report to the Directors on how work is going usually lying or saying “we are going over time” or whining about a particular staff member.

We have “Work In Progress” meetings which is where we are supposed to discuss how many hours have been spent on a job and the progress on it…but all that happens is the Directors talk to the Team Leader(s) and discuss finances and potential jobs.

We waste so much time when we could be so much better. No matter how hard I or other staff members have tried, there is too much office politics going on. Basically Team Leaders kiss the Directors ass and get whatever they want while the actual staff doing all the work constantly are getting moved around or fired. There is a huge turn-over rate with the staff, even the best and most productive staff have been fired for no apparent reason. Oh and that reminds me; the firing process usually goes:

Staff member has meeting with one Director and is instructed not to talk about his/her firing.
- week lapse -
All the other staff members: “Hey, where’s John? Haven’t seen him in the office for a while”
Team Leader: “Oh, he was fired last week”

No communication, nice. /endrant

Like Patrick says, a good article and not so much comfort, but worrying that finding a workplace is like finding a needle in a haystack. I guess freelancing is always an option :) .

]]> By: Patrick http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-350 Patrick Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:34:26 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-350 Wow, that sounds almost exactly like a position I was in a few months ago. Our office was a creative group with about the same number of employees and a micro managing SP without the technical knowledge to manage. It hasn't been that long since I left, but I can see the turnover and the employee discontent. One thing I did notice and think I did well was try to relate to all of the employees on a business level. Although this didn't make their work more enjoyable I believe they felt there was a person in a management position that saw their value. This helped our production and in the short-medium term made the atmosphere happier. One thing I did poorly was try to continually change SPs perspective on work environment, productivity, and priorities. I think these situations are hard when you rally a team around the goal of productivity and success only to have management waste resources (in the eyes of the employees). It is hard as the middle management to balance the two perspectives, "I need more productivity" vs "he's wasting the profit I make for him". Overall a good article. As much as it is sad to see this situation, I feel some comfort knowing there are others like me. Wow, that sounds almost exactly like a position I was in a few months ago. Our office was a creative group with about the same number of employees and a micro managing SP without the technical knowledge to manage. It hasn’t been that long since I left, but I can see the turnover and the employee discontent.

One thing I did notice and think I did well was try to relate to all of the employees on a business level. Although this didn’t make their work more enjoyable I believe they felt there was a person in a management position that saw their value. This helped our production and in the short-medium term made the atmosphere happier.

One thing I did poorly was try to continually change SPs perspective on work environment, productivity, and priorities. I think these situations are hard when you rally a team around the goal of productivity and success only to have management waste resources (in the eyes of the employees). It is hard as the middle management to balance the two perspectives, “I need more productivity” vs “he’s wasting the profit I make for him”.

Overall a good article. As much as it is sad to see this situation, I feel some comfort knowing there are others like me.

]]> By: Dick Carlson http://workawesome.com/management/how-not-to-boost-employee-morale/#comment-349 Dick Carlson Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:28:32 +0000 http://workawesome.com/?p=15#comment-349 I'm surprised he didn't want to set up some kind of "paycheck deduction" for those who didn't show up for the fun time. Damn employees. Can't live with 'em, can't force 'em to be happy and productive. I’m surprised he didn’t want to set up some kind of “paycheck deduction” for those who didn’t show up for the fun time.

Damn employees. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t force ‘em to be happy and productive.

]]>