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"!!

In my workplace we get told to speak up and challenge things, but I refuse to anymore after getting in trouble for doing so previously. And yes I know that it's about the way you go about it... But it's also whether you're saying something they agree with and whether your face fits

Oh they don't mean it when they say "challenge"

They just want to be able to say they've said it.

It's all bollocks.

They just want to be able to say they've said it
Yep. So much is for appearances.

Btw I'm 40 and the work place has been the same since I was 19, always pretty crap in terms of pretence ...but I do feel the time devoted to non work related shite has increased.

And the dream of more home working has not been rolled out in many areas, partly due to presenteeism culture but also partly due to the fact that extroverts often run the show and like to have people around when the job would often be done better in a quiet place.

Many people encouraging nonsensical work place stuff don't seem to have a life.

it is positively discouraged as "not a team player" if anyone speaks out

YANBU. Innovation and courage are important qualities, far more than sheep-like unthinking obedience. There is nothing "negative" about being prepared to tackle things head on, instead of plastering on a fake smile and never changing anything.

I am just amazed sometimes how the top brass KNOW that there is a problem with morale and job satisfaction, staff retention, and even attracting in the right calibre of staff on the shop floor. However, rather than speak to the staff DOING the work and enabling these staff to speak honestly about what is dragging things down, they leave it to the middle management to devise "fun games", "satisfaction surveys", "prizes for best teams" and all the other rubbish that we never needed all those years ago (I am going back 20yrs or so). Back then we came to work with determination to do an excellent job and take personal responsibility for getting the job done. Slackers were spoken to by managers who knew their staff, and told to shape up or move on.

It is precisely the middle management's need to justify their jobs that is causing all these daft "innovations", micro management of time, systems that are this week's dogs bollocks but next week are discarded in favour of something else. It sucks the life out of the natural talent of the staff doing the work!

Totally agree with you Adgefox, My husband has an interview tomorrow for his lack of co operation/awkwardness with the companies planning team (they are restructuring and testing everything and everyone) when he realised that he was being timed walking to the toilet and back and length of time there he decided to voice his displeasure with them, It's time for the new breed of managers to accept the staff were hired on ability and still there on good performance and trust them to do the job they're paid to do

The funny thing is we had some Diversity training a while back. All staff had to do it. It extolled the virtue (and legal requirement!) to embrace the diversity of our customers and fellow workers and in no way may we make any individual feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs, looks, age, sexual orientation, religion, abilities/disabilities, culture etc

Then we return to our desks and are subjected to more micromanagement and coaching to make us into one homogenous globule of monochrome worker and crush our individuality and autonomy.

The saddest thing that I observe is young workers coming into the workplace full of bright ideas, hopes and dreams. Within a year they are fraught and ground down under the weight of the statistics constantly thrown at them concerning their performance. If they want to get on and have a career these days it is not promotion through natural talent (anything "natural" is hammered out of them) but based on how much they can "suck up" to and embrace the company ethos.

Hopes and dreams crushed by purple buckets.

YANBU in the slightest.

In fact, adgefox, are we the same person? You've just described my
work down to a tee. It's infuriating but I refuse to compromise my intelligence and go along with the buffoonery. I'd rather speak my mind than dumbly follow along

In my last job, management picked up on the fact that, in a team of 20, some people had friendships with each other outside their work, but not everyone was friends with absolutely everyone else in the team.

The team seemed to be fine with that (I'm speaking as someone who wasn't particularly friends with anyone else then) but management took it as a sign to hold a meeting entitled "There is no 'I' in team!" which was about how we should include everyone in out-of-work outings .

When me and a fellow introvert said "actually for those of us who don't socialise much, we'd rather not be asked to everything as it's very embarrassing to continually say no, especially when we know we're being asked out of obligation rather than genuinely desiring our company", we got a pasting from management.

The policy came into force that any out-of-work socialising had to involve inviting the whole 20 staff members.

Of course people just secretly met up. And we all knew it and were fine with it. I felt sorry for the people who did they must have felt like right wallies going to the pub all cloak and dagger like some stupid clandestine affair

Piper
Ive heard of that but my main experience has bern when they don't like anyone being friends. Sigh.

YANBU and I feel your pain. I am a 50 something senior manager who cant stand the over managed and under led bullshit culture we seem to have in the workplace now.

I am very good at my job and lead a high performing team (as their metrics and dashboards continually tell them) , but apparently my career has stalled because those above me are afraid of me. I have been told this is because I am not very obviously not frightened of our senior leaders and have been known to point out flaws in some of the things we are doing and suggest alternatives. This outrageous behaviour means I will never ever get promoted.

All us senior managers recently got invited to 'management training' run by HR 20 something's with no experience, who gave us 'scripts' to help us run 1:1 sessions with our direct reports! I could weep (I am a qualified executive coach) - but I cant be arsed any more. Just counting the days until I either go somewhere else or retire

YANBU, I am quite young (mid-20's) and used to work for a well known organisation that preached to its staff members about how we're all 'valued as individuals' yet were treated like anything but! Being made to wear ridiculous head gear (think along the lines of Micky mouse ears or antlers that jingle when you move) for one reason or another was a particular low light. I refused to wear them as they weren't part of the uniform and didn't affect my performance (except for making me feel like a twat which affected my confidence and productivity as a result) and was made to feel like I wasn't a 'team player' as a result. No, I just didn't want to feel like a twat when trying to get on with what I'm paid to do.

Yanbu
I am steeling myself for the purple buckets tomorrow morning. Every time someone mentions the new 'in' buzzwords i will see them wearing purple buckets on their head. Thanks OP for giving me new strength to get through it without having to waste energy :)

This thread reminds me of Trollied when Richard France becomes in charge - great series (especially the WANC episode)

It's the same in the public sector. We have to think of 'fun' team names brining in food for celebrating anything as long as it takes our minds off what shit management are going to dump on us next. Decorate the office for different themes best team wins but then we are micromanaged to within an inch of our lives. League tables of personal performance within teams which really demotivated people who are at the bottom who are still performing at a perfectly acceptable level for their role. New digital systems where you have to record every type of task/job you do how long your breaks are including toileting. I feel like have been a disruptive pupil rather than a full grown woman with over 15 years experience in the job

I agree. I was recently expected to laugh along with an accusation I had stolen and eaten a cake at work in front of customers. I rebutted it of course and it was just repeated, so I suggested we launch an investigation (big brand, all on CCTV). Now I don't get shifts, even though I wasn't in the wrong. Other members of staff discourage customers in the evening because they want to go home early -a direct attack on the revenue of the business, but this is OK, apparently. This isn't teamwork, but some 'managers' confuse teamwork with 'I can be a tit, you are always wrong'

I also think some of this is English. In a recent workplace the poles, Lithuanians French and moroccan were very team-y and supportive. The English team members were always trying to outrank each other and blame newer members for their own fuckups, one even said things like 'do you know how to write a date' you say 'yes' then he says ' no, I asked you did you know the whole date recording procedure and you don't do you?' Utter prick, but it was all about trying to make it look as if he was telling me off for being useless. The polish team leader was in control, helpful and spent his time making sure I was comfortable doing what I was doing, and took the hit himself if he forgot to tell you something he wanted to do. I found the English staff lying, scapegoating, and untrustworthy.. All in a game to prove they were better than someone else.

This: www.theonion.com/article/boss-wants-friendly-relaxed-company-culture-place--52229