I work for a company which merged about a year ago. Our new Senior VP in my department has changed every process which was previously instituted by the old guard. Good, bad, and indifferent. I was in a meeting with a process manager (newspeak for a geek who is tied to his/her desk writing Methods & Procedure) who told me flat out, “You have to treat SVP with kid gloves. We write procedures in the form he wants to see them and then we go ahead and do it the proper way…” I stopped her and asked her if she knew what she just said and she was confident that it should just work this way!!!
Is my thought process so Pollyanna-ish to think that we, the workers, should create documents which accurately reflect what we do each day? I am lucky, because I plan to quit in 10 months and go back to school to complete my degree. I can say things that my peers with families, mortgages, etc can’t say. What should I say? What should I do?
I am normally very good at speaking my mind to effect change, but I am almost to the point of disillusionment.
P.S. Despite the fact that we have had a major economic downturn, since the merger our stock has dropped 85%
If you seek advice, I say this: PICK YOUR BATTLES. Do you want to spend the next 10 months in petty semantic battles over what seems like useless procedural bullshit, or do you just want to do your job and get out? It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Are the changes really that bad? Is it possible that they are positive changes that will help your company, and that the employees who keep “doing it the old way” will run into trouble? Change isn’t always bad.
Write the procedure the way the boss wants it.
If the changes are in fact bad/unnecessary/stupid, attach a memo that says “I’ve filled out the form (or whatever) as you’ve asked, but I think my true job description is closer to this.” Be prepared to back up every statement with why it saves time, money, makes more sense. “This is how it’s always been done” isn’t a good answer.
Valid points Magdelene. I feel as though I am in a good position to make bigger statements then the rest of my peers, so I will heed your advice about the memo.
In terms of the changes, I can bring to light one bit of evidence. I can think of three times where a process change was made, because senior management thought the old process didn’t make sense or was too complex, only to have them change it back to THE EXACT SAME WAY IT WAS BEFORE. I meant to bitch, but maybe I was also looking for advice. Thank you!
This is the pit, and obscenity is allowed, perhaps even encouraged, so feel free to spice your pit rants up with language guaranteed to scorch your boss’s mummified great grandmother’s pubic hair.
You also missed the felching compulsories alltogether.
nice work nonetheless, just be meaner and more pissed off next time.
Thanks for the response. Your right. I need to let go. These people I am dealing with are fucking idiots. If they just stopped to hear themselves talk for one minute. These people must get wrapped up in their own bullshit, only to find themselves unable to find a way out. My favorite is the Fucking SVP telling one of the Directors, “Well if you can’t get this done my way then I guess you will be finding another job!” This guy propagates this attitude of fudge everything to look this way and then do it the right way. I feel better. Thank you