RE: Business Myths

[geoff -at- userdox -dot- com]

Executive Summary:  *Always* have a "Plan B".


############################
<AP>
Myth: Happy employees are more productive.
Reality: Happy employees with a clear leadership, a set of expectations, and
consequences for not fulfilling those expectations are more productive. You can
have all the fooz ball tables in the world, if the employees are not focused on
their work, then nothing will get done. Mostly, there must be defined
consequences (i.e. termination) for those people that do not meet expectations.
</AP>

To a point:  Defined consequences are necessary, but *mostly* just indicates 
corporate bullying.  *Mostly* what a professional requires is stated earlier - 
leadership and expectations.  Corporate bullying does not create the required 
morale level in workers, forcing them to consider "Plan B".

############################

<AP>
Myth: Businesses layoff all the good people who do the work during bad times
and protect the executives. 
Reality: Businesses must think strategically in bad times. And many times,
things like tech writing, are not seen as a critical strategic component. The
executives are, supposedly, part of the strategic guidance of a company, so
naturally they are going to remain as the company rebuilds. As a person who has
driven a company through very bad times and destroyed and rebuild my company
many times, there is a very simple factor at work - the company is dependent on
the leadership and capital from executives. Its not dependent (at a strategic
level) on technical writers. Tech docs (support, trainers, etc.) are not part
of the critical functions of the company. Therefore, they can be cut. 
</AP>

Of course businesses must think strategically.  But so should employees.  When 
a business strategically redefines your job to something you don't like, 
strategically implement "Plan B".

Some businesses think intelligently.  Our goal is to provide products that work 
as stated, and can be used by the relevant people.  Documentation and training 
*are* critical functions where I work.  We've just had 2 rounds of lay-offs, 
and tech pubs is still producing material, still answering questions, and still 
understanding the overall picture better than most(not all, of course) of 
development.  The people gone from tech pubs worked the extra hours...

############################

<AP>
Remember, your employer is not your friend. Its your job. Unless you own the
company, you can't really expect the company to just bend to your wishes. Work
is a contract. You deliver, you get paid. Few (if any) businesses promise you a
comfortable, stable, rewarding life. That is your own problem. The business
just promises to pay you (via money or benefits) for your labor. You get a
paycheck every week. That is your compensation for your work. If you expect
more than a paycheck (longevity, comfort, clear management, etc.) then you need
to be clear about that. Because most companies aren't promising you anything
more than a paycheck when you sign on. 
</AP>

<JH>
That may be correct. However, there is frequently an expectation from 
the company that the employee provide more than his or her contractual 
obligations. A common example is working more than the specified 40 
hours when the product must get out the door (or even as a matter of 
course).

If the company has the right to expect more of the employees (as I 
would argue it has in this situation) why do not the employees have the 
right to expect more than the contractually stated duties from the 
company?
</JH>


<ED>
Now if more businesses would only follow that good advice. To many companies
seem to be attempting to be your friend and family these days.

Business leaders/managers have to get it through their skulls that being a good
team player refers to how well you perform as a member of the WORK team while
performing your PROFESSIONAL duties. Not whether you're always smiling, happy,
and you attend every last pub outing/group meal/team building outing or sport.
While being on friendly terms with coworkers may be a bonus, it's PROFESSIONAL
and not PERSONAL behaviour and interaction that should be valued at work.

Sometimes it seems that current work environment strategy and thinking is
derived from high school/college behaviours. The formation of cliques and "cool"
gangs seems to be encouraged by management.
</ED>


If my employer was my friend, not only could I live without a "Plan B", he 
would probably have me over for dinner occasionally.  But he earns more than 
100 times more than I do, lives on a different continent, and doesn't even know 
I exist.  And his decisions can have a dramatic effect on my life.

My employer's representatives are more interested in their careers than they 
are in mine (understandably) - consequently, I need a "Plan B".  They want me 
to work long hours, but they have just laid off people who were already working 
long hours - meaning that working myself to death does not provide employment 
security.  I only work long hours when something *I* have done is causing me to 
be late.  My employer can't complain - I already work more than the contractual 
requirements, but when they say "weekends", I say "How much?".  Strangely 
enough, we always deliver on time without working weekends.  The only thing 
working weekends would do is make my boss look good to his boss - at no benefit 
to me (see above about lay-offs).

Team Building?  Just because I can trust my co-workers to not let me die on a 
ropes course, it does not mean I can trust them to deliver their material on 
time.  That's like comparing apples and atom bombs - the relationship is so 
superficial as to be useless.  Eric is just so right.


Cheers

Geoff



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