I occasionally like to lighten it up over here and am often amused at what is available to us by way of the inter-webs.
Today I offer you a funny video of the Worst HR Manager ever! This is wrong on so many levels.
Category Archives: Unhealthy work environments
It’s not Social Media that’s killing productivity at Work
I don’t know about you but I’m personally sick of hearing all the hype associated with the loss of productivity debate as it regards to Social Media and whether to allow it or not in the workplace. The reality is that your employees are already using Social Media at work even if they’re hiding under their desks with their smartphones to do it.
How about we try and think creatively as to how to incorporate it and use it to our advantage and business initiates? Sound like a plan?
Last month I presented at SHRM’s Work-Flex conference here in Chicago and my session was titled “Gaining a Competitive Edge in a High Tech World” and you can download that presentation on my SlideShare, if you feel the need.
In the presentation I made mention of the fact that it’s not Social Media that’s killing productivity at work, it’s other things such as email. It was noted that we’re spending 2.5 hours a day sorting, reading, and deleting emails that is just one of our productivity killers. I wish instead, someone would just kill email. I despise it. I mean, I really hate it. It’s such a time-waster and buzz-kill.
Incorporating the use of technology at work is a no-brainer and should instead be looked at as “keeping up with the times.” We’ve dealt with technology at work for years now with fax machines, even email and the use of computers and as we all know technology rolls in and out at the speed of light. By the time you buy that brand new HD TV and get it plugged in at home, the newer model is already on the shelf. That’s just a fact.
Social is changing how we do business, not only how we communicate.
So what are the real time wasters and productivity killers at work? Take a look at this Infographic:
What do you think about this? Do you have anything else that you’ve noticed that’s killing productivity that you’d like to add?
Thanks to the good folks at Compliance and Safety for the fun Infographic.
Photo Credit (TOP) SawPedia
Halloween office parties gone bad
Some few years back, when working in the third level of hell, my boss and HR / Office manager thought it would be a great idea if several of us from the office got together and celebrated Halloween. She set the time and place for us to meet and told us we all had to dress in costume and head to one of the local bars in town.
We all thought that rallying the troupes and trying to create some kind of camaraderie in and out of the workplace would be a great idea, at the time.
So there was a buzz of excitement for the next few weeks throughout the office talking about our costumes and how much fun we were going to have at the party. We talked of what we would sing at karaoke, who we were bringing to accompany us, it was going to be “the shiznik.” We also discussed how we were not going to drink that much because we all knew that was never a good idea, and to act civilized which we all agreed was crucial being out with our supervisors and coworkers – God only knows what would happen if we didn’t. We laughed at that thought, and all agreed.
Time came and we all met up in our lovely costumes as we congregated outside the local pub awaiting our perfectly planned evening.
And then things changed………….
Once we walked through the doors, somehow that plan we had conjured up of not drinking too much and maintaining some sort of self-control went to #$%@. People were drinking more than their body weight, dirty dancing on the floor with their boss, and some things I saw reminded me of an episode of “Girls Gone Wild.”
What happened to the plan? We seemed to have good intentions to begin with but with all the Halloween hooplah, something happened. We all lost our marbles.
Guess what happened on Monday morning? People were walking in the doors with their eyes towards the floor in embarrassment. They had behaved so badly that they couldn’t look any of their co-workers in the eye. They had lost the respect of those around them, and might I add – we all lost respect for each other and especially our managers who too, behaved badly.
When the boss takes all the credit for your hard work
I think one of the most rewarding work experiences I’ve ever had was when I worked in a Nursing facility (aka – Nursing Home) believe it or not. I know, you think that’s gross – but it truly caused me to grow as a person.
In the beginning, I could not even relate to my own Grandmother. We would sit together at family gatherings and I only knew how to chit-chat, use small talk to converse. And I hate that I missed learning from her, while she was alive.
I began working as Assistant Activities Director where my years of being a traveling musician really opened up this opportunity for me. I was able to lead the residents in sing-a-longs, picked the musical guests and even entertained them myself.
I think one of the things I most remember is being able to visit those that could not leave their rooms. I would often take my guitar and sing to them, while coming through the door – laughing and making up goofy songs about bowel movements or whatever it was they were dealing with that particular day.
Another aspect of this position was writing daily progress reports on each resident with whom I was assigned. I loved this part, believe it or not, because I seemed to have had a knack for writing the most beautiful, touching, reports about my residents (even tho’ this was mainly for the government to read – they were the ones interested in this information). I remember my Director would give me compliments when we were alone, yet in front of others – she loved to get the credit for all my work.
Now, you have to understand, I was in my twenties. I was young, immature, and loved being praised for a job “well done.” Come on, who doesn’t like that? But it started to really get the best of me and I began to become very bitter about it. I would plan these awesome activities and when the Administrators of the facility would come and tell her what a tremendous success we had in getting the residents to participate, she would take the credit. Always.
It wound up, that I wasn’t smart enough or I was too immature to deal with it that I let it consume me and it eventually cost me my job. Yeah, the one that I really enjoyed. The reason? I finally let her have it! Man, I told her where she could put it and that she would NEVER steal my hard work ever again.
After being asked to gather my things and basically, get the hell out, I even felt that I did the right thing. It wasn’t but a couple of days after that I came across an article that addressed that very thing. I wish I still had the article, but it basically said “Do your job to the best of your ability. Go all out! And if your boss chooses to take the credit, then let them have it! You are there to make them look good. And when you do that, you succeed and it will not go unnoticed in the long run.”
That takes a willingness to let go of our natural, selfish state that wants credit for doing good. Sometimes, that’s a hard pill to swallow.
I think if I were in that same position today, after maturing somewhat, that those petty things would bother me. Thank God I have matured. I choose my battles wisely, and have learned from my experiences, both good and bad.
What are your thoughts or experiences? Have you ever been in this position where someone takes the credit?
Image Credit – Nisha A. Flickr.com
When HR is off their rocker – working in the third level of hell
Several years back I started working at this company as Admin to HR. What an experience that was!
When I first interviewed for the position this lady appeared to be the nicest, most polite, friendly human being on the planet. Very down to earth. Thinking back on that moment I suppose when she mentioned she went to school with my just divorced ex-husband could have possibly been a RED FLAG! The town I’m from in Alabama is semi-small, about 80,000 but seems to be more like Mayberry (Andy Griffith). Everyone knows everyone else’s business.
Nevertheless, I needed a job and I had been in executive admin positions to Presidents of companies and corporate environments since I was 18.
In the very beginning of taking that position and in all appearances, it seemed to be “the greatest place on earth to work.” Yet appearances and first impressions can be deceiving. One thing I noticed was that for the most part, the company policies were very lenient in the office and had a very laid back appeal. But then things started to change and I began noticing some bizarre behavior in that of my boss (HR Manager). I’m convinced she was psychotic or at best, manic-depressive.
I would constantly be called into her office (which was right around the corner from my work area) to have to hear her love life saga (MAJOR DRAMA) and listen to her bawling and squalling like a baby. She really didn’t want my opinion on what to do, she wanted to vent and captivate my attention. (Okay, just so you know this wasn’t some twenty year-old but a grown woman who was a total partier and hell-raiser).
I swear, I could not do my job for the daily distraction of the song “Break Away” from Kelly Clarkson over and over blaring from her office and hearing her cry in between. On the other side of my work area was another nut job, our payroll administrator. She would steal my candy from my desk and leave a ransom note and most often she would cry at the drop of a hat and ask me, “why doesn’t anyone love me?”
I have never worked in such an environment as this and thought, “what the hell have I gotten myself into?”
So what does one do in this situation?
Well, I went with it as long as I could and just tried to perform my responsibilities as best as I could. I couldn’t go above her to her boss because she had everyone fooled into thinking whatever she said, goes. And to be quite honest, they were just as nuts. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything quite like this management team.
I guess the final straw was when I had been through two major car accidents and was in physical therapy and on pain meds. They wound up missing and I had just had them refilled. I did confront her, fishing for information, but she denied it (BTW, it was a known fact around the office that she had major drug and alcohol problems).
I went on to apply for other positions within the company so I could get out of that constant day to day madness but eventually left the company. Thank God, another company came to me and offered me an outstanding position with their organization and it all worked out.
Have you ever experienced anything along these lines? Please do tell!
