I work in Government. Local, fairly progressive, but government nonetheless. Today concluded two half days of "Sustainable Workplace Action Plan Workshops" where over 100 "Supervisors and Managers" came together to address issues within our "Organizational Culture." Mainly we wish to move from "top down," administrative, procedure based culture, to a more creative, integrative, values-aligned, and open one. The County manager hired a consultant, from New Zealand, to survey staff (the survey tool was not extremely well-accepted, since no one could input comments or skip questions that they didn't feel they could answer - can we say invalid?) and put together this workshop to help us improve things such as inter-department collaboration and information sharing, employee development and recognition, blah blah blah. Florida property taxes are being reduced (it's to be on the ballot in January, but it's pretty much a guarantee, right?) and we need to conserve revenue, so first we go hire a consultant from overseas, fly him here for several days, put him up in a nice hotel, rent a banquet hall, etc. etc. to generate ideas that, in my opinion, we could have come up with one mass email to all employees simply asking for their opinions and ideas. Oh, but there was popcorn and water yesterday and coffee and cookies today, so obviously they didn't want to "overspend."
OK, so my group worked on employee recognition and development. We had grand ideas of formal mentoring programs, better supervisory training, etc. etc. All great, and all within reach.
Now for the ironic twist: We currently have one annual Recognition luncheon for all employees, in which people are recognized for length of service, "good driving," and...drum roll please, "Perfect attendance." Well, I have always held the opinion that we should not be rewarded/recognized for never using annual or sick leave because this is not "aligned" with our values, since employees who stay home when ill and take vacations from time to time are far more productive (studies show...) than those who are miraculously able to stay perfectly well and never take off. Anyway, I mentioned this in the group, and our Administrative Manager (a very high level person in the County) agreed with me on this, then said that she tried to do away with it a few years ago, but there was such strong backlash from employees (because the reward is an extra day of leave- that they will never use I presume) that they didn't go forward with it. And then the subject was changed...
And they wonder why real change doesn't happen.
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5 comments:
I always wondered what happened to those people with glimmering permanent records in school when they "grew up". You know what I think of those people ... YAWN!!!!!
Wow.
There's NOTHING more disheartening than an organizational workplace that 1. opens the discussion of what to change, and then 2. does nothing about it.
We're going through the same stuff.
It's like - they have one chance to blow it or gain your trust. They've blown it.
I'm so sorry.
T- I think the problem is that they are not using the talent they have to make the changes as well as they could. Why hire a consultant when we have planners, counselors, people with Sociology degrees, etc. etc. that could design these surveys and organize workshops for much lower costs, and probably get more buy-in. Maybe we could actually have lunch too, then!
Oh, Lordy Lordy...
What is it with out wacky culture and "perfect attendance?" You couldn't be more right about it being completely counter-productive!!!
We recently had an employee come in when he was feeling sick–turned out he had SHINGLES...And Bingo! Now, 2 more people have it!
Idiots. They're all idiots!!!!
SNJ- Shingles are so contagious! Your workplace continues to surprise me with it's idiocy. It's an idiocracy!
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