A Pearl of Great Price

Monday, October 18, 2010
I try not to write too much about work here on Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men. It's not that I'm ashamed of what I do, or that I think my company is the worst place to work on the planet. I'm not,* and it's not.** And really - anyone smart enough to pour pee out of a boot can figure out where I work. It's not a big mystery.

Like most adults in this country, work is a large part of my life. In a normal week, I spend the majority of waking hours performing tasks associated with work, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some pretty strong opinions about my industry, the leadership strategies I'm subjected to, and other work-related matters.

So today's topic is work-related, with the caveat that I'm pretty sure no member of my leadership team reads this space, although I can't be sure.

Have you ever worked for a boss who was so insecure in their leadership, while simultaneously so arrogant about their decision-making skills that dissent was simply not tolerated? I don't do well in such an environment, since I'm opinionated and don't like to feel like my observations are dismissed out of hand. I especially don't do well in an environment where I'm punished, either implicitly or explicitly, for telling the boss I think he's full of crap. Not that I'll stop raising the bullshit flag, mind you - I just don't enjoy being punished for speaking truth to power.

Which is why, in spite of Fiscal Year 2010 being kind of a rough year for me professionally, I'm happy to be working in the team I'm in. I'm free to tell my immediate boss that he's full of crap, or that an idea or process is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. (Yes, that's exactly how I phrase it, thanks. Wasting time weaseling around the issue really isn't my style.) He doesn't take it personally - instead he analyzes my objections, determines if there's merit to my complaint, and makes changes appropriately.

I can't tell you how freeing such an environment is. While I have no desire or ambition to "move up" in the organization, the expression of my honest, defensible opinion does not constitute a CLM on my team. In fact, it's encouraged, especially if doing so results in the resolution of an issue that negatively affects our company or our customers.

I'm opinionated (yes, yes - shocking). Not having the opportunity to express my opinion or take an active role in the on-going functioning of my team creates stress for me. So I have acquired my pearl of great price. I can deal with a lot of crap as long as I have that.

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*Except that my company sells a proactive contact solution. For those not in my industry, that means we sell the solutions that automatically dial your house during the dinner hour so the agent or recording on the other end of the line can talk to you about their charity, or their political opinion, or what their company can sell you. I'm sorry. Deeply, deeply sorry.

**If it was, how stupid would I have to be to have stayed there for fourteen years?

3 comments:

Steve Buchheit said...

That's a fine trait to have in a boss. I've worked for two many that fall into the category of being insecure. But when information can flow up and down (and sideways), it certainly makes the work go easier.

Karl said...

"I can't tell you how freeing such an environment is."

Yay, Janiece!

I've had such freedom of expression in the workplace for the last 8 years or so and have been in this slot for 14 come February, but only in the last two have we been able to actually close doors and curse a blue streak, if necessary... we're also free to use the door that leads to the outside of the building if we need a 'chill' moment - easy to do at 35 below.

Glad you shucked that oyster :)

Warner (aka ntsc) said...

Try a boss who is justifiably insecure, especially by the lack of credentials.

Instituting weekly face to face meetings is fine, but not showing up for more than half is not, especially as the third party of the team and I had been lunching together, essentially daily, for 30 years.