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"!!

Company- We want X
Workers- X won't work, Y would be better
Company- Do X
Workers-Sure ok.
Company- We need Y but getting X, everyone needs to be more Y stop Xing!
Workers- Sure ok
Company - We want X and Y
Workers- head:desk

I actually dont remember the last time i wasnt worrying about work. Fml, as the kids say.

Echoes headdesk.

Why cant you be more positive Lois?

Because you've sucked every last bit of motivation out of me with your positive reinforcement.

fast Going forward, I aim to be more positive

Lois you must be among the few who knows Malcolm's surname

What you said resonates. These days, the acronym 'COB' makes me shudder. And then reprioritise. And despair.

waves frantically at edwinbear as I haven't seen you for yonks and my DS is your name sake. I've name changed but we 've waved before where have you been???

Back to the thread

This is driving me crackers at work. I've done the same job for 12 years mostly with the same people. But endlessly changing management. Basic admin has vanished and so nothing actually works anymore or is set up incorrectly. More and more computer systems implemented to perform tasks, each with a different log on and varying password renewal rules for compliance. And all service departments gone to pot, HR, IT, Finance, Facilities.

I spend so long trying to get the systems back up and running but now I need 100 forms and 200 signatures to do so when it shouldn't have stopped working in the first place.

I've used the same form to perform the same task for 12 years but now someone wants to tweak it and give it 'extra' rules. With a password. Then they fail to deliver and I'm left to pick up the pieces.

I have the authority to sign off £10k. But now I have to fill in a form to spend £10k. Why?????????

I have no time left to actually do my job.

Oh, I did leave my job btw. On a whim after being fed up driving home in tears and being unable to sleep I earn next to nothing in a stop gap job but I'm so much happier just poor

I feel like we are all on a train with no destination and no brakes, and someone keeps throwing the switch. And my superiorsare either in on the switch joke, or they dont care, or are too feckin blinkered by positivity to stop the damn train at the next station and say' hang on guys! 8 people want to get off! How is this okay' ?!

lois i also left a job after being unable to face the commute home.
I cant leave this one. Poor is fine. Homeless is not. Im already poor

I love a good Damn Those Corporate Assholes thread. Or as they would say a D.T.C.A. Why make sense when you can acronym the bejeezus out of everything?

fast sorry to hear that Its so much worse when you feel trapped in a job.

I worked for a company that wanted our customer service to be "legendary" and made that the top grade on the staff appraisal. I'm afraid, to me, legendary is something that people will talk about in hushed whispers generations later, not service in a high street store. Apparently I am cynical

Hey thanks lois the crapside is, they think the sun shines out of my proverbial. Oh, good, more work! Thanks, just what i wanted. No, my dcs5 and 2 dont need me at home by 5, dont be silly, kids can cope just fine. Just you keep on employing people who cant do the job. Its fine! Ill pick it up.
Kill me now.
Thanks for the vent!!

'Legendary'?
Ok then... Dress like King Arthur

Ive described customer service as' excellent ' and thats about the top rating there is. Ive never voluntarily used the term' legendary' about anything. Except Arthur.

And I'm actually very 'passionate' about customer service ' believe it or not

Do you work for a large energy company? Sounds a lot like my office

I feel for you
I think the other thing is company culture moves slowly so once one thing is in, it's in for ages.

I'm 40 and ditched a more senior position at just over 30 because I felt it wasn't worth the extra stress

I now do a job where I just do as I'm told, I get picked at for not wanting to advance but that's because they want more work out of me really.

I am a raging frugaleer with a hope to retire at 50. My current work place is good, or at least they are honest. My boss hates bullshit too so we can moan together. But if that goes wrong I'll have to temp or sell up and leave London.

I look at everything I could buy, think of it in terms of "how many hours work" then don't buy it!

Sad thing is, it's not the work that's a problem, it's the work culture.

Dodo- you are most welcome to adopt the "wearing the purple bucket" mantra and we will not need to have to factor in a brainstorming meeting to cascade the permission in a fact finding meeting to allow this!

Morale is constantly on the floor in the company I work for, we cannot retain staff or even attract in good staff.

If we would only be left alone to take pride in our work and do the good job we want to do without being hounded by stats our work place could be amazing. Those actually doing the work are lovely people, just worn down by the weight of stats, feedback on those stats, and the constant need to "improve" whilst coping with almost daily updates and changes to the job spec.

Thefour - I would have a special place for my "bottle of pride" but would probably get the sack for where I would want to shove it! How condescending. What planet were those people on.

I've taught my manager to play 'which book have the executives been reading now' game based on the latest buzzwords to come into use. It is remarkably soothing and takes the urgency out of their latest declared thing - previously he jumped at wildly important goals, pragmatic marketing and so on. Since I commented on the half life of these (each fad seems to last a year) he's calmed down a lot and waits for the next thing.

OP, this is work. Why do you think the rich don't work? Coz' it's possible to think of things that are more fun to fill your time with. Go there, do whatever is necessary, you are doing it to earn money to cover the bills. Go home, live your life. I also work for a huge company, and apart from the very top layer of managers (who tend to be 50-ish men with adult children) no one is there because we want to, or because we are passionate, or because we want to have our ideas heard, whatever. Have loads of ideas - for your private projects. :)

Sounds like my place of work! I'm really excelling at work atm because I'm dead inside! I toe the party line, I do what I'm told, I let the pay rises roll in.

Waves back at Dung - drowning in corporate bullshit mainly. If a client buys me a cup of coffee now, I have to send a form to compliance. Ideally I should seek approval before this potential bribing situation occurs. If I accept a meal invitation from a client which is expected to cost over a certain amount I need to seek approval from my desk head and compliance. If I think it will be under the set amount, but the client bumps it over by ordering a coffee I will be sent to prison for the rest of my life if I don't call compliance mid meal to seek approval. This is why banks are losing money, fuck all to do with the slow down in China, falling oil prices and low interest rates. It's because the senior management are too busy agonising over whether one of their team can have three courses at a client lunch or if they will have to choose between a starter or pudding.

I think some things have improved

• most large organisations run large scale anonymous engagement surveys so people get to say what they really think (in theory)

• younger people (Gen Y onwards) don't buy the old corporate life, they want flexibility, respect for their home lives, to choose benefits depending on what's important to them

But I agree about change for changes sake and management bullshit being v v annoying

I also dislike being made to 'sing the company song' as it were

wicked " most large organisations run large scale anonymous engagement surveys so people get to say what they really think (in theory"

ours is written so that you can't, or what you say is allied to people to whom it isn't connected. Very cunning. Net result as is they wish - hardly anyone fills it in.

I agree it's only work but I am not the energetic type - it takes up most of my mental energy. I do toe the line but it took a long time to find a line that didn't involve so much acting that I was prompted to see if Equity would take me. I can't act!