The Work Revolution

Chapter 2

Signs We Have It Wrong

I think it’s safe to assume you know when you are miserable in your job, but let’s start with a really quick test, anyway. On a scale of 1 to 10, how loudly and sincerely would you sing David Allan Coe’s song, “Take This Job and Shove It” at a karaoke bar? If you said 10, let me suggest that there might be room for improvement at your organization. It’s just a guess. If so, feel free to skip the rest of this chapter and move right to Chapter 3. I’d venture that most of you, however, fall somewhere in the middle of the Job-Shove-It scale: Some days you feel good, and generally like the role you play at work, while other days you feel stifled, frustrated, or even appalled about something that happened on the job, whether it is a new policy or some leadership maneuver that has everyone dumbfounded.

The objective of this chapter is to bring awareness to the various aspects of organizational culture that can either lift people up or drag them down, with, perhaps, a little more nuance than on the Job-Shove-It scale. As in any book on change, this one offers hundreds of ideas and suggestions; so the question is, where do you start? Which changes are most important? And how can you embark on a path of change without losing focus or taking on too much at a time?

The quiz in this chapter is designed to help you think about what is working now for you and your organization, and where you have the most room for improvement in the future. You may read some of these questions and think, “Oh, we’re already on top of that!” That’s wonderful. I expect that many organizations will have already started their journey to implement many of the principles in this book. The quiz is intended simply to give you foresight into the strong and weak points about your workplace. Ultimately, it is a tool to bring clarity and focus. You might decide to start with the weak points and make changes there. You might, alternatively, start with an area of strength and build on that success. In either case, use the results from the quiz to serve as a guide as you move through the rest of the book. It will help you decide which strategies to adopt and how and when to tackle the most important areas for you, your team, and your company.

The Deluxe Job-Shove-It Quiz

The Deluxe Job-Shove-It Quiz, which expands widely on the question I asked to begin this chapter, will help you assess the cultural health of your organization. It contains five sections to highlight different aspects of your organization—from its operating philosophy to your team and your individual role.

Quiz Instructions

Select the answer that best describes your organization for the following questions in each of the five categories. Answer each item as honestly as you can—and with a sense of humor. There are no trick questions; each relates directly to concepts and strategies described throughout this book.

Your Organization’s Philosophy

1. My organization has a mission statement:

a. And I can recite it.

b. And I would recognize it if I saw it.

c. It is plastered on the wall somewhere. I might be able to find it.

d. Mission statement? What mission statement?

2. My organization has a strategy:

a. And I know what work aligns with it and what work does not.

b. That only managers and leaders understand.

c. But no one pays much attention to it.

d. Strategy? What strategy?

3. Decision-making is done:

a. At every level of my organization, and preferably by the individuals doing the work.

b. By managers and senior leaders.

c. By senior leaders, behind closed doors.

d. Rarely. We can’t seem to make any decisions.

4. My organization hires:

a. Only those people who clearly belong in our culture.

b. The best individuals we can find, with the highest credentials.

c. Anyone who has enough experience and doesn’t embarrass him- or herself in an interview.

d. Anyone who can be trained to follow the rules and procedures.

5. In my organization, deadlines:

a. Are based on truly urgent needs and business requirements.

b. Are based on a project plan or set schedule.

c. Are set by managers and leaders.

d. Deadlines? What deadlines?

6. The perks in my organization:

a. Are designed to restore energy and make it easier to balance/blend work with personal life.

b. Are on par with the perks of other similar organizations—just enough to compete for talent.

c. Are monitored closely, to make sure no one abuses them.

d. Perks? What perks?

The Rules

1. Rules in my organization are:

a. Invoked only during companywide poker tournaments.

b. Minimal, to protect against egregiously bad behavior.

c. Developed to ensure consistency and govern behavior.

d. Strict; enforced with zero tolerance.

2. My work schedule:

Note: Mark N/A if your schedule is based on external business requirements, such as trading or retail hours.

a. Is flexible and can flow according to my personal energy level and needs.

b. Is flexible, but only if I communicate changes to my team and manager in advance.

c. Is set and tracked by my organization; it is flexible only upon approval.

d. Is dictated by management and virtually unchangeable.

3. If I come to work late:

a. My coworkers don’t really notice or care.

b. I feel the need to apologize to my coworkers and manager.

c. I will be reprimanded.

d. I won’t have a job anymore.

4. If I need to take a break at work:

a. I take it in whatever form I need, when I need it.

b. I do so subtly, in hopes that no one notices.

c. I ask permission or let my manager know.

d. I wait until the designated break time.

5. If a coworker or my manager catches me on Facebook:

a. He or she asks whether we are friends yet.

b. I make it clear that I’m on a break.

c. I worry that I’ll be in trouble.

d. I’ll be fired for breaking through the corporate firewall that prevents access to all forms of social media.

6. If I wear jeans to the office:

Note: Mark N/A if your work attire is necessitated by your profession, such as scrubs for a doctor or nurse.

a. I blend right in; it’s the uniform of choice.

b. It means it’s casual Friday.

c. It means I’m popping in on the weekend to pick up something I forgot.

d. I would never wear jeans to the office.

Leadership

1. Leaders promoted in my organization are those who:

a. Inspire and empower individuals to do the right work.

b. Tend to know the right solutions and train people to implement them.

c. Set clear rules and enforce compliance.

d. Play the politics game the best.

2. Leaders in my organization:

a. Trust individuals implicitly from their first day on the job.

b. Trust individuals only after they have proved their value.

c. Trust individuals who consistently follow the rules.

d. Never trust individuals; they continuously monitor everyone according to company rules and policies.

3. My manager:

a. Helps me by teaching me how to problem-solve and think strategically.

b. Helps me by teaching me how to do things the right way.

c. Tells me when I’m doing something wrong.

d. Wait—do I have a manager?

4. The main role of managers in my organization is to:

a. Develop individuals and advocate growth opportunities for them.

b. Identify high-potential individuals and promote them up the job ladder.

c. Supervise individuals to ensure quality work is completed on schedule.

d. Track compliance of rules and reprimand those who break them.

5. If my manager walked in on a paper airplane contest at the office:

a. He/she would join right in or offer to judge it.

b. We would apologize and explain that we were taking a break.

c. We would scramble to get back to work.

d. We would worry about being reprimanded or fired.

6. I seek approval in my organization:

a. Rarely; I would call it more of a conversation.

b. From my manager, for such things as vacations and expenses.

c. By filling out myriad forms and following processes and rules.

d. For everything, including my break times.

Your Team and Coworkers

1. If I questioned why we were doing a project:

a. I would be kick-starting a healthy conversation with my teammates.

b. My manager would reiterate the importance of the project.

c. My manager would consider me insubordinate.

d. A deadly silence would fall in the room following my suggestion.

2. My team prioritizes work:

a. Together, through rigorous discussion and following principles consistently.

b. Inconsistently. We all have different priorities.

c. Never. We try to get everything done all the time.

d. Based on what our manager tells us to do.

3. If I quit working on a project:

a. I could justify it by explaining the low value/impact it has for the organization.

b. I would feel like a quitter, because I am hard on myself.

c. My teammates and manager would view me as a quitter, not a team player.

d. I might as well have quit my job.

4. Around my coworkers, I feel:

a. Completely at home, even if we aren’t necessarily friends outside of...