AIBU to think that the work place has changed and not for the better

[Adgefox]

I work for a large organisation, a household name.
I have noticed that no one thinks for themselves any more, and it is positively discouraged as "not a team player" if anyone speaks out about oppressive and sometimes dumb systems. For example, if a manager thinks it a good idea to put a purple bucket on your head and jump up and down staff immediately start debating where to find the best bucket and the best spot to jump up and down! I am sure that the wise ones just play along and nod wisely about how good it is to wear a bucket and jump (probably whilst despairing inside!!). But the youngsters really enthuse about whatever dumb idea managers come up with without really thinking it through. You can bet your bottom dollar within a few months the bucket and jumping idea will be discarded in favour of wearing Peppa Pig onesies and playing the flute at your desk.
God I miss the "good old days" when we gave outstanding customer service without the need to go on a "customer care course"!!

Adgefox There never was a 'golden age' of outstanding customer service - you are nostalgic for something that never existed.

Carol, I know I am yearning for the days of the inspirational boss, when staff were trusted to be amazing and could take personal responsibility for their own work and time management. Work has changed imho.

Now all I see are grey middle management gathering "stats" on our work without them knowing us or our particular special skills at all. We are all being slowly turned into functioning company robots.

Any staff dissent is called "not being a team player", our working practices are constantly changing (and not always for the better but just for the sake of change), and then changing back to how it was last week as that was better. We are never able to point this out though!

We are measured, monitored, processed, and "coached" within an inch of our life. Heaven help the person who needs to pee outside of their statutory break as this is also monitored. It is the school leavers I feel sorry for as they have never know anything other than this micro management and "yessir, wow, what a good idea, when can I start the new working practice" culture.

Hail, sister, I couldn't agree more. When I think back 20 years, there was a whole lot less bureaucracy, none of the obsessive targets and monitoring you get now, and for the most part, people got on with their jobs and did them well. Fair enough, the company I worked for at the time had a few pretty useless people who did very little, relied on others and were basically a pain in the proverbial. I suspect most/all workplaces had their share of these, but it was a small share. If they weren't dealt with effectively, then that was a management failing. Fast forward to now, and it feels like the entire workforce is being punished for the shortcomings of the few. Those of us who already did our jobs well and cared about what we did are slowly being strangled by all the stupid 'innovations' which amount to pointless changes such as those described by the OP. I do wonder about/feel sorry for youngsters going into the workplace now with no idea that it could ever be any different.

YANBU - oh dear god,it really is getting ridiculous. I thought it was just me getting old, but I seem to find myself constantly in a state of confusion at work these days. I really don't understand why I have to wear that purple bucket, but can't ask why, as my negativity is not viewed well.
They introduced many, many new 'work instructions' that removed the need for any thought and then wonder why we all feel like constrained fools but can't say so due to negativity blah,blah
I also work for a large organisation that has introduced a one-size-fits-all policy that really doesn't. But we're just supposed to try wedge it in there, while they jiggle the stats accordingly. I'm fed up of counting things, of having to wear that bucket whilst cheering along the new innovations - they're shite & even their bloody stats support that. I also miss the "good old days" when I could just get on and do my job. Jeez, maybe I am just getting old

I rarely post but had to log on to say YANBU.

Relentless "positivity" seems to be the order of the day. The mildest challenge or question will ensure that you are viewed as "negative". I seem to remember a more robust working environment in terms of discussion and challenge around ideas and projects when I was in my 20's/30's. Now it seems no matter how simplistic and ill thought through everything has to be greeted with immense amounts of enthusiasm. Maybe this is "rose tinted spectacles" and an age thing. I was talking to a friend who is quite senior in a large organisation and I was saying maybe it's time to leave and let the young people get on with it.

Relentless positivity is actively damaging to an organisation.

As I said to my boss the last time she criticised me, "the pessimists are the ones who bring the lifeboats."

(I'm actually very constructive and positive at work, and don't bring problems without thinking of a couple of possible solutions, but this sensible, "hmm, this could be an issue, let's think about how to avoid/reduce/mitigate risk" attitude is not "bring a cheerleader for positivity." )

Unbearable.

I also work for a household name - a bank as it goes. If we dare to suggest something is a bit daft we are accused of not being aligned with company values or behaviours. We have some 'pillars' we have to adhere to at all times. Any suggestion of 'thinking outside the box' results in being stripped of your bonus and then made redundant. Marvellous atmosphere managed using a fear culture.

YADNBU.

My work are always coming out with 'wacky' ideas, the latest doing a music video parody, and all the teams in the organisation will find it immensley fun

People either do it because they feel they should or they couldn't give a fuck and just want to do their job, and get labelled a prude

YANBU. The 'manager-speak' is what annoys me the most. Nobody can just speak to anyone any more. They have to 'reach out' or 'open a dialogue'. Nobody can speak to someone after a meeting when a slightly offtopic item comes up, they have to bloody 'take it offline'. STOP.

Another one in wholehearted agreement!

I call it nonsensical micromanagement.

I told one of them the other day that "I'm a person not a bloody robot" and to take their ridiculous ideas elsewhere

Preach it, Sister Girl!

I work for the US Government and I get really sick of the rah-rah bullshit at work sometimes. I came to work here, not join some sort of work-cult!

I totally agree. I've for the same large company for years and it's gradually progressed so the micro managed targets are completely unachievable unless you work unpaid overtime on a regular basis. We were all told a few years ago that the office was too negative. We got training sessions on being positive where we had to write on a bit of waterproof paper a compliment we had received that month, put it in a small empty glass bottle and fill the bottle with water and glitter. We were told it was our 'bottle of pride' and we were to keep it by our desk and shake it any time we felt negative. I kid you not. It took all my strength to stay calm and smile during that training. The nerve of those condescending assholes.

Hello my people!
I returned to my household name after a years mat leave and I worked out about 40% of my job is just busywork- having suggestion meetings, buzz sessions, having a "brainstorming" half hour. I don't know why as nothing is ever actually done to make it a better job.
Oh and I was branded a trouble maker after one meeting when i foolishly suggested time might be better spent actually doing our job.
And sadly I am middle management. It's not always our fault

Oh God the micromanagement just keeps increasing and it doesn't improve anything. The more they measure 'productivity' the less we actually do because of all the timers and spreadsheets that need filling out to 'prove' what we are doing. So less work is being done, which leads to more micromanaging and interference from managers to increase effiency, but they just make it worse because they haven't really got a clue what is going on. Just let us do our jobs like we used to!

I don't recognise any of this in my workplaces. Maybe because I only worked in law firms and lawyers generally see through cannot standbullshit.

Im an accountant for a large global company. The boss just sent out a big thing, bla bla bla, lets improve everything, but most importantly, lets have FUN!

Did he miss the fact he is the boss of a bunch of accountants?... Headdesk.

edwin That all sounds very familiar, I recently gave up a job with a bank as I refuse to give a company like that my energy and time. I bet its the same one. Yanbu op

Blueshoes....no idea what sort of law you practise (not asking either!) but I've worked plenty of places where the several MI spreadsheets and case management accuracy is more highly valued the work itself. No longer, thankfully. And let's not forget the horror that is time recording when you're just trying to get on with your job, although granted that is nothing new or modern!

I'm with you all. You're not allowed an opinion where I work. It's seen as being negative if you try to point out potential pitfalls of something senior management want to implement in my department because you have many years experience of doing the job on the ground, and know what could or what couldn't work. they don't have the specialist knowledge, that's why they employ me. I point out potential pitfalls of their ideas and we end up coming to an uneasy compromise (on my part) about something that goes on in my department, simply because the managers want to implement it at any cost, without any proper forethought. When it all goes tits up, and my colleague and I are DYING to say "I told you so", management points the finger of blame at us.

Fucking disgraceful.

You're working in the wrong company, I moved. They are not all like that. We have a shitload of meetings but get stuff done and have productive discussions.

Don't. Ive just had to tell my sub that they will have to do the one thing i promised faithfully would never be the case. Such a shitstorm.

I want to scream at them "just let us manage our department the way we know it will be run best and provide us with the proper resources to do that."

I think we need to go all out and introduce "wearing the purple bucket" into office vocabulary - it's no more ridiculous than anything else!

YANBU.
The number of people that are expected to work outside of their contracted hours is ridiculous.
I've seen people being promoted to low level supervisory positions that I wouldnt trust to look after my rabbit over the weekend.

The outside hours thing, for me, is aimed well at lovely conscientious people who dont want to let anyone down. So they are given tasks that are not possible in a normal working week and made to ferl substandard for not getting it done in 37.5 hours. Then logging back on after getting home, or at the weekend, just to avoid that 'returning from holiday' feeling after only a weekend.
Grr, i wish i could afford to leave. Its a joke.