Bad company cultures vs good ones

foxwalk SG

What kind of lousy company cultures have you experienced?

At my ex company, as it is a local owned company, where the management is mostly made up of the owners who are from the same family, you need to report to all of them. Surprised

Then when you are unsure about something and ask manager A, he'd tell you to go ask manager B, and B would ask you to go ask C, and C in turn would say to ask A. So you go around in a circle.

Oh yeah, and they look at you weird when you go off on time, or 15 minutes after the end of the working hours, even when you've finished your work or has something on that day.. you get the picture... really sucks.

The managers also pitched different company goals that kind of confuse you. They'd also blame the employees if they suspect them of doing something wrongly without checking the facts first, e.g. shouting loudly at the employee in front of everyone. Really bad leaders.

the Bear SG

got a no.2 at the organisation now who micromanages EVERYTHING...

and he's got his stable of pets who gets the best of everything.. postings, promotions...

thing is.. it is a culture that encourages sycophants as they will rise and populate the top management...

those who do the actual work are a happy-go-lucky lot who don't give a flying about the idiots up high.. and are pretty happy to just do their work..

there was also a merger of 2 organisations to become the one i am in now.. there is a clear difference in cultures... one just goes about doing the work, while the other does minimal work while trumpeting whatever the hell they do...

one side does the work and then goes home, the other bums around during office hours and then clocks OT doing work after office hours, trying to show off to the (usually) workaholic boss..

when the merger happened, people got merged into departments, the cultural differences were clear as a bell... some bosses started to ask what the hell was going on with so many people clocking so many OT hours while some people were going home on time, yet the productivity was equal..

after much teething problems, seems like there's an uneasy truce now.. the 2 sides still look at each other with some suspicion... but the newer recruits are pointing the way... unsaddled by the baggage of the past, they learn to work hard, work right and then get a life outside the office Wink

i can't say if the culture of my organisation is good or bad.. coz it's still evolving after a sudden and painful merger... but i've seen good and bad of both sides.. unfortunately, it seems to be mixing up into one huge Mediocre Culture Laughing

elindra SG

I hate it when they try to rule you with an iron hand!

- Biometric punch-in punch-out system.....applies to managers as well
- Fine of $1 per minute if late
- Compulsory attendance for company sponsored events or company events
- Sales personnel have to punch in and out everytime they step in and out of the office.

av98m SG

Surprised
If they implemented that at my workplace....*presses calculator...*

I'd be paying close to $500 every month!! Shocked

*av98m is a serial late-comer* Embarassed

elindra SG

Laughing
I was never late before then, but I hated the rule too

InnoHippo SG

One bad experience = "must not be late to start work but must end work late".

luckily, i got out of it Mr. Green

the Bear SG

someone wrecked the "punch in, punch out" system at work Twisted Evil

InnoHippo SG

the most amusing thing is to see the long queue at the punch card station minutes before official knock-off Laughing

gd4u SG

R u talking abt physically ? After the punch card system got abused, the company management got so fascinated about high-technology, that now it uses a thumbprint sensor to track sales person movements ...

the Bear SG

it read our smart security passes which has a chip embedded in it..

someone literally punched out Laughing

gd4u SG

Cool, so did he get 'punched' out of company or his pay his 'punched' out ???

ShrodingersCat SG

My ex boss (which is really The Company since my ex-co is a very small one) forces us to have lunch together.. WITH HIM. Those who doesn't want to, will be viewed as dissidents and rebels.

He also views requesting for Time Off after copious amounts of overtime impudent.

So much angst left over even though I left. Evil or Very Mad

av98m SG

Neat! Mr. Green

av98m SG

I'm one of the few people at work who can eat at the same table with just about anyone. I don't give a shit who I'm eating with, I just eat.

*av98m is a mean but not lean eating machine* v Mr. Green v

ShrodingersCat SG

Sigh.. my ex boss also insists on talking abt work THROUGH lunch often.

He also insists that we talk to everyone EQUALLY. Once, a colleague (girl) and I who were rather close were involved in a conversation about mutual people we know during a course. he scolded us later cos we didnt include another colleague (guy) in the conversation though lots of other 'little' conversations were taking place at the table. Its like GEEE its LUNCH TIME!!! I just wanan RELACK can or not.

av98m SG

Oh its no problem for me. somehow I can chatter my way through meals with management even though 90% of what comes out of my mouth is nonsense in such situations. Mr. Green

Say. just how often were you forced to have lunch together?

the Bear SG

shoulda gotten a conspiracy going..

everyone start cultivating extremely bad eating manners, talking with mouth full and splattering food everywhere, shovelling food into your mouth even when it's full, belching at full force, flicking food at your neighbour, talking about bovine bowel movements Razz

after a while, he'll be so grossed out he'll leave you alone Laughing

ShrodingersCat SG

Every Single Day that I worked there. Until.. my colleagues and I resorted to lying that we need to run separate errands (becos if we move off together, he will view it as a conspiracy and say we spending TOO much time together. Dammit we're GIRLS! we CLIQUE!) then meet elsewhere for lunch without him.

av98m SG

Shocked Shocked Shocked
Surprised

Your boss sounds like quite a lonely chap

ShrodingersCat SG

Sigh he won't. He hates me. Somehow he brings out the worst in me. He is so anal.. so i can't help cracking my most stupid jokes in front of him. And worst, he doesn't get that I am JOKING. So he was very biased against me.

sigh. angst. it's been.. 2 years since I left. But... .... Hmm.. he tried to make me a scapegoat for something he didnt do (and the co. almost got sued).. and I find it very hard to forgive that.