Fortune Magazine has recently published their annual list of the 100 Best Places to Work in the USA. Not surprisingly, none of my former employers were on the list. (In fact, now that I think of it, most of my former employers are not even in business anymore. Wang, Prime, Index Tech, Bull Express)
Actually, none of them - even the ones that became Fortune 1000 companies - could have even make a list of the top 100 thousand best places to work in the USA.
"What makes a workplace into a Hellhole?" is a frequent question posed to yours truly. The answer is very simple: Clueless Management.
Our system of promotion and reward tends to advance the most competitive and ruthless among the workforce. This is the ideal province of narcissists and sociopaths. Only a small fraction of those individuals who succeed under this system are truly talented, empathetic and wise.
To my way of thinking, a good place to work requires Wisdom and Empathy in the governing hierarchy. Most of the senior management I have observed (and read about) are wrapped-up in their own agendas and egos. They give lip service to the people who do the work - the rank and file. At quarterly meetings they drone, "We could not have done it without you." But, privately, they believe that all success is due to their genius; but, failure is due to "economic conditions" or "lack of sufficient training."
Do not get me wrong, I am not an anti-management disgruntled dissenter. In fact, I am a booster for the wise and empathetic managers who make decisions which allow all boats to rise with the tide. If I ever meet one, I shall be sure to document it right here.
No comments:
Post a Comment