Mandatory "Morale Building" Team events at work

[SamSpade]

Most employers really don't think about it. Management is in it's own world. I've heard the excuses, "it's the best we can do".

A few years back, in order for me to do a write up for our budding intranet, I did a "ride along" with one of our directors. I guess he was actually only four levels above me in the chain of work, but it showed.
I thought his job would simply be a much higher level of what I did - managing the projects, establishing protocol for computer security, handling the million dollar costs of our stuff.

Nope.

How about making high level decisions regarding long term procurement of our equipment, making the deals for contracts with other agencies, licensing for our division?

Nope.

His world was about speeches, meetings with higher level management where admittedly they discussed projects with other COUNTRIES, hosting visitors from industry and other nations.

In short - you'd never know he had anything to do with my job whatsoever. I could contact every single person in my area, maybe a hundred people. He wouldn't even be the slightest clued in on the projects they were working on even if I gave him the name of the project. He didn't know what we did largely, didn't know what we programmed with, didn't know the product we created. He really might as well have been from another company altogether.

I think what REALLY chapped my hide about him happened when we were doing asbestos abatement, and they removed the air condtioning for the entire building, and replaced it with temporary ducts on the outside that provided *heat*. Since they were sealed to the WINDOWS - when it got hot, there was NO mechanism to get cool, and policy was that sustained temperatures above 85 were grounds to send us home. They installed those round the clock temperature gauges and it showed we were in the mid 90's all week long (except for night, when it was in the 80's). He came in after a week and a half of sweltering heat and said "wow - it's really hot in here". He still did nothing about it. Actually nothing was EVER done. I don't know why he authorized the temperature gauges, but I guessed they were put there to let us think management was making a decision, when in reality they were doing nothing.

I don't think he didn't care - I think he just forgot. Like I said, SO FAR REMOVED from our work, he had no idea. At least a plant manager can see the factory floor and knows you make cars or clocks. This guy was clueless.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Because that was such a resounding success!

Don't knock it, after many people spent hundreds of hours they came up with things like "stop writing a report that nobody reads".

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Lol, I guess you have been through both.

My 'Lean project' was a writeup that showed how much money we wasted by having everyone at orientation attend 3hrs of Lean indoctrination.

Surprised you didn't get fired for that lol.

 

[officeguy]

Surprised you didn't get fired for that lol.

I actually complained to anyone who would listen and the following year, the Lean indoc was split into two tracks. Only managers got the whole thing, worker bees got a 30min intro on what it is and why they may encounter 'lean' projects here and there. Next thing we got sold and the new owners brought in 'Six Sigma'.....

 

[Gilligan]

I know where it is.... and when it's unguarded.....

So you really think it's ever unguarded, eh?

muah ha ha haa..

 

[GURPS]

I see nothing to be gained by this - and my job has a new wrinkle.....

They make them mandatory.

any of this 'trendy' Fortune 500 training is wasted time

'Lean Sigma Six Green Belt' :shrug: 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

any of this 'trendy' Fortune 500 training is wasted time

'Lean Sigma Six Green Belt' :shrug: 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'

Just hours logged into the required training to reach the required 40 hrs.. Didn't learn anything.

 

[GURPS]

Ahma put together our own "Team Building" seminar/event. It will be great...so much winning. Morale will be through the roof.

as long as the event involves Beer and Broncos ... or maybe boats

 

[stgislander]

as long as the event involves Beer and Broncos ... or maybe boats

Or crabs or oysters.

 

[GWguy]

So you really think it's ever unguarded, eh?

muah ha ha haa..

Oh. Yeah. Forgot about the attack dogs.

Nebermind.

 

[GURPS]

I worked alone, the only member of my local 'team' at my site, all contacts to my peers was a weekly telecon.

I see foxhound a couple of times a month .... it is nice 'my boss' is across the river in Herndon VA ... we never see him

 

[BernieP]

any of this 'trendy' Fortune 500 training is wasted time

'Lean Sigma Six Green Belt' :shrug: 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'

LOL
What I've seen of the people who have been invited to take this "belt" training is they are simply brainwashed, all they can do is babble in a different language. Common sense, ha, that doesn't apply. But since they were trained, well they are the expert. That' how we end up doing stupid ####. Somebody with no practical experience that's been brainwashed and empowered to think they know it all.

 

[stgislander]

I'm still trying to integrate Lean Six Sigma in to our work environment.

Because that was such a resounding success!

I dunno... I think we got the "Lean" part figured out pretty good. We can't get much leaner.

 

[GURPS]

since we are on the general topic ....... what about ISO 9000 [or its current form] useful or a waste of time

 

[BernieP]

I dunno... I think we got the "Lean" part figured out pretty good. We can't get much leaner.

we are so lean that it's hard to get things done on CWS Friday. If someone is out longer than a day, all work grinds to a halt.
Absolutely no back up in a lot of areas, Single point of failure.

 

[Gilligan]

I dunno... I think we got the "Lean" part figured out pretty good. We can't get much leaner.

Hah. Proofs positive that I'm an extraori..extradin..extaordin...really fantastic manager.

 

[stgislander]

Because that was such a resounding success!

I'm still trying to integrate Lean Six Sigma in to our work environment.

Hah. Proofs positive that I'm an extraori..extradin..extaordin...really fantastic manager.

It's that Ivy League Lite education.

 

[Gilligan]

It's that Ivy League Lite education.

Dayum straight!

 

[BernieP]

since we are on the general topic ....... what about ISO 9000 [or its current form] useful or a waste of time

Different story, it and CMMI make perfect sense. It's about producing a quality product, which doesn't mean just fewer defects, it means better understanding of your costs (so you estimate better), better control (so you can manage better) which goes along with quality and configuration control.

Neither is easy to obtain since there are independent assessments required. It requires a honest buy in from the top down. Management has to be willing to spend the money for the tools, people and training to put the pieces in place. Those costs are an investment and they do pay off.
Let's just say working with and in an organization that has achieved a CMMI level 3 or higher or ISO 9000 certification is much more relaxed as your estimates are so much more accurate that you don't have the pressure of being behind schedule before the kickoff meeting.

Things are predictable and are managed. Panic is reserved for real catastrophic events.

I recall butting heads with a professor in graduate school, he would give the text book process and I would tell him how it worked in the real world.
To me, that's the difference between Lean and CMMI/ISO. One is more academic. It has it's own language, it's buzz words and a cult following.
CMMI/ISO you can touch and see. It's not a theory, it's practices, how your work gets done.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

since we are on the general topic ....... what about ISO 9000 [or its current form] useful or a waste of time

It is a check in the box. It means you have set processes for things, configuration management, but what it doesnt mean is that you produce a quality product, it has nothing to do with producing a good product. However everyone that is ISO9000 certified points to that as meaning that they produce a superior product and places that are not are inferior and that simply isn't true.

Management in many places have bought in to thinking that certification is needed.