Ranting

What would you do?

I recently pondered and reflected on past employees who were verbally abused at a recent company. Managers would talk to employees with a tone and regard as if employees were lucky to be there. One manager has their own child working on his team (see: nepotism.) I found this counter productive because it created an office culture in the likes of a 1980’s Meredith Baxter after-school special.

An employee cried “more hugs” in a staff meeting and another took his frustrations out on his wife over the phone. The managers hide in windowed offices, desks facing the pit and constantly claiming ignorance on the chaos.

This place smelled of start-up; bean bags in the lounge, free lunch, candy, soda in the fridge, and the walls– painted with primary colors!

The office promoted casual attire, but no shorts or flip-flops. My surprise was that this casual attire created a culture based on who is important vs. who is expendable. If you fell for the trick of not having to wear business casual you were not getting any respect. I believe it would work if the entire company was in it for the same reasons but everyone there had an agenda outside of a mission statement (if there was any.) It seemed as though the company pandered to entitled “millennials” with the expectation of creating a factory full of indentured workers with no leaders. I am surprised that some parents didn’t call up the managers and complain about the lack of growth for their child.

In any case, I would like to know your opinion.

© 2008 zero distortion.