Office Life - Get back to work!

 

There was a time when working for the (British) Civil Service was relatively slow-paced and even boring. This combined with low pay made it an unattractive proposition. However, the pension and job security was a big plus for many. These days there's not much difference between the private and pubic sector. You can now loose your job just as easily in either.

We now live in a time of ongoing austerity. This means that if you're in the public sector you're likely to suffer just as much as anyone else. When money is tight then the employer starts to turn the thumb screws on the employees. It becomes increasingly important to demonstrate your worth and that you're not a piece of dead wood waiting to be put on the fire.

Employees need to be more efficient and effective than ever before. In fact just doing your job is no longer enough. You need to demonstrate you are pushing the boundaries in every way. Sound familiar?

Cue the consultants. Time to look at how your team can perform even better. Well, if you've already got a team of misfits then you can't force them to get on better with each other. Lets be honest, almost every team has a few 'odd-balls' or 'loose cannons' who drag everyone else down from time to time. What's the point of trying to turn everyone into robots so you can control them. Everybody is different in some way and we should be grateful for that. OK, some people can be different to the point of irritation but that's life.

Team building is also another popular office hobby. You either love it or hate it. If you're long in the tooth then you probably hate it because you seen and done it all before. Why drag people through this screaming when you can just leave them to do their job. If someone is really screwing up then they can be demoted to the post room.

Next up is construction play. Lets re-arrange the office to make it more 'effective'. This usually involves taking down all the walls to resemble a chicken farm. Even you boss is 'mucking in' and trying to look like he doesn't mind being in a giant goldfish bowl. It's no fun when you can't check out the latest sports results or social media in peace and quite. It just creates an epidemic of paranoia - everyone thinks that someone else is watching their computer screen (as if they really care what you're doing).

If you're lucky enough to actually enjoy your job then you're more likely to give it 110%. The reality for most people is that job equals salary. OK, sometimes there might be square pegs in round holes. In this case the employer should try and help them find something they want to do rather than put effort into making their working life miserable. I didn't think a goalpost was meant to be moved.