Thursday, October 30, 2008

We Make Bureaucracy: 4

Like most Americans who work in some sector of major industry, I came to accept that all I needed to do was to show up.

Now I ask, what is that bit of wisdom about most of life being about showing up?

What I didn’t understand and came to realize, is that sometimes it’s about only showing up. Being reliable is a virtue. Deviating from this norm is never a good idea. Bureaucracy doesn’t know how to deal with deviation. Dilbert, a cartoon strip by Scott Adams that was syndicated throughout the 90’s, mined rich material from just this fact.

But let’s examine a few things. When the fulcrum of power is based at the top and then “trickles down” through the organization in classic triangular fashion, something amazing happens.

A manager's gaze becomes fixated on the chain of command that connects his office to the next upward rung. He’s not a bad person, no, just some poor schmo who’s also caught in a flytrap, making sure that the lines of communication are open between him and the manager who serves as his own lifeline to the top. Securing and defending this relationship occupies the majority of his time, more so than the people who work for him. Poor guy. He’s thinking about next fiscal year.

But then employees who populate the lower echelons of any organization are left without hope.

Barbara Ehrenreich in her book “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America,” writes, “If you are constantly reminded of your lowly position in the social hierarchy, whether by individual managers or by a plethora of impersonal rules, you begin to accept that unfortunate status.”

Bureaucracy is bad for democracy. If I come to work every day with a sense that I am ineffectual, can’t change anything, will be punished for speaking my mind, and ultimately “it will always be this way so why try and change it,” why the heck should I try and change anything? If I’m getting a message to not rock the boat for the privilege of collecting a paycheck, I will do exactly that and feel the same way about government, or anything else (cable or telephone company), which I presume wields some kind of power over me.

The dot-com world was no panacea, and in all honesty, just as filled with bureaucracy, after all we’re human beings who want to delegate stuff to someone else. But given that fact, there also was recognition of the individuals who made up a team and what a team needed to become successful.

Is that so terrible?

It's time for us to restructure ourselves as a team again and to move away from this stifling bureaucracy that looks like America.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

replica watches, nike outlet, sac longchamp, longchamp, longchamp pas cher, nike free, louboutin outlet, longchamp outlet, louis vuitton, ugg boots, jordan shoes, tory burch outlet, nike air max, ray ban sunglasses, tiffany and co, uggs on sale, ralph lauren pas cher, prada outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, prada handbags, oakley sunglasses, nike roshe run, nike air max, cheap oakley sunglasses, ugg boots, louis vuitton outlet, michael kors, ray ban sunglasses, louboutin pas cher, kate spade outlet, tiffany jewelry, air jordan pas cher, air max, burberry, louboutin, polo ralph lauren outlet, nike free, oakley sunglasses, ray ban sunglasses, oakley sunglasses, longchamp outlet, louboutin shoes, louis vuitton, gucci outlet, louis vuitton outlet, replica watches, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses, chanel handbags, christian louboutin outlet

Unknown said...

iphone cases, mcm handbags, wedding dresses, lancel, p90x workout, babyliss, soccer shoes, ferragamo shoes, mac cosmetics, soccer jerseys, longchamp, gucci, timberland boots, nike huarache, lululemon, insanity workout, converse outlet, celine handbags, birkin bag, louboutin, new balance, asics running shoes, ghd, nike roshe, hollister, hollister, reebok shoes, nfl jerseys, nike trainers, nike air max, converse, ray ban, jimmy choo shoes, oakley, vans shoes, mont blanc, north face outlet, hollister, valentino shoes, abercrombie and fitch, beats by dre, herve leger, chi flat iron, north face outlet, instyler, ralph lauren, vans, nike air max, baseball bats, bottega veneta

Unknown said...

montre pas cher, thomas sabo, moncler, moncler, moncler, karen millen, bottes ugg, toms shoes, pandora jewelry, links of london, ugg boots uk, canada goose outlet, pandora jewelry, canada goose outlet, supra shoes, hollister, moncler, pandora charms, ugg pas cher, louis vuitton, canada goose, moncler outlet, sac louis vuitton pas cher, moncler, moncler, wedding dresses, canada goose, swarovski crystal, moncler, louis vuitton, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, replica watches, canada goose, coach outlet, pandora charms, canada goose, doudoune canada goose, marc jacobs, louis vuitton, louis vuitton, canada goose uk, juicy couture outlet, juicy couture outlet, swarovski