Work situation advice

[nomorearsingmermaids]

Just looking for some thoughts. I have an excellent work set up in terms of logistics - it is very flexible and works round my toddler DS (still have to have him in nursery 4 days a week but can drop off late/pick up early, easily have him at home when he's ill etc) so I am very lucky.

However some parts of the culture at my workplace I don't like. For example every team meeting starts with ten minutes of meditation/mindfulness and reflection. Each to their own and everything but I HATE this sort of thing, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable.

Also my colleagues are so tech-phobic it often makes my life very difficult. For instance most of them refuse to use an electronic diary but cannot keep up to speed with keeping their paper diaries up to date. They also don't like saving anything on the shared drive which seriously concerns me as some of them use personal computers and this is a security issue. Half of them have no real idea how to use microsoft office and I spend a lot of my time working around their incompetence with technology - everything takes twice as long.

I guess these are two separate issues. I am loathe to give up the job as it work so well for my family life and I know I am luckier than many in that respect.

I just wondered if anyone else had experienced similar to the above and if so how you dealt with it?

bump

Honestly it just sounds like their culture isn’t a good fit for you.

It's a bizarre culture. We've lost four new members of staff in the past year so I know it isn't just me feeling it.

The tech thing would really annoy me too. Can you raise it with your manager whenever it causes a major issue? This might help you highlight the problem and could lead to a bit of a culture change.

In the meantime I'd also job search, but be picky about what you would take. Think of it as you interviewing companies as well as them interviewing you x

They sound bizarre. It also sounds like they need a wake up call on how a modern work place operates. Not being able to use Microsoft package... wow, I wouldn't feel comfortable there either.
It works well around family so see if the situation can be salvaged. Speak to the manager (or manager's manager / owner if necessary) about the tech issue. Make a point of mentioning that you find the meditation uncomfortable. Be vocal, you have a very valid point. They won't change if they're not aware of the issues, be vocal. Good luck

Can you raise it with your manager whenever it causes a major issue?

I have tried but unfortunately WRT tech in particular she's pretty much the worse offender!

I can't go into too much of the detail because it would definitely out me but half the problem it is the same people who have been there for years and years so culture change is difficult.

I think a lot depends on what the ‘workplace’ does as to whether you can change the culture tbh. Not asking you to say what it is though, but I have a bit of an idea from similar experience of a friend of mine.
If you think it’s worth it to you, you could look at the governance of the workplace, in that if it has dealings with ‘the public’,business organisations or financial institutions then it needs to have proper procedures in place to ensure probity, traceable systems in place and proof that the employees follow this. Traceability. Also you could look at the GDPR in regard to the employees using their private PC’s etc.
Maybe you could suggest putting together some training for this, as well as general tech/IT training so no-one has the excuse that they don’t know how to use electronic diaries etc.
Just an idea, should you wish to try to drag them (probably kicking and screaming) into 2018/9!

It's a charity, I think I can say that much!

I've tried several times to arrange IT training (it's part of my job) but I'm always told people are too busy to commit the time.

I lasted about 6 weeks in a charity post. Lovely, lovely people and the potential for a great job but it was all just so frustrating. I think charities often have deeply ingrained cultures that you’re just never going to change.

Bloody hippies

I thought you would say it was a social cate department. Both they and charities can be similar!
Keep telling them about the new data protection requirements, that may move them!

Not surprised to hear it’s a charity! Although that’s no excuse in any business these days with accountability.
You’re probably flogging a dead horse though, you have my sympathy.

The training needs to be written into their development plans to make it happen

GDPR is a great hook to use the issue of personal use of work computers

Shared drive...I feel your pain... Does your manager do this? If not, you're flogging a dead horse; if they are, they need to insist - and keep insisting - that everything is put on there. Agree a filing / naming convention. Offer to do the donkey work to set up the right files and folders so all people need to do is save into them. Help them create a shortcut

Meanwhile, dust off your CV and start looking for alternative work. One danger of staying too long in places like this is that you become too much like the people whose work habits you dislike. So when you go to a normal work place, you're the one who isn't using tech efficiently (or whatever)

Your manager isn't doing her job, which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for potential legal issues.
Go over her head. Use legal liabilities to force them to get things up to speed or leave - don't end up carrying the can for one of them breaking the law.

Meanwhile, dust off your CV and start looking for alternative work. One danger of staying too long in places like this is that you become too much like the people whose work habits you dislike. So when you go to a normal work place, you're the one who isn't using tech efficiently (or whatever)

I know, that really worries me as I now quite often find myself recounting their behaviour to other people and when they say "that's bananas" I go...oh...yes...it is, isn't it?!

We have a relatively new board of trustees who I hope might give the culture a bit of a kick up the arse. I would love to talk to one of them in particular about it but I am pretty junior.