The GarbageFactor™

Because Employee Engagement is not about the money!

Posts Tagged teamwork

BCC:

Oct 7

Posted by Marian Madonia in Communication, Team Work, Toxic Environments | Comments off

Why do people use BCC?  I’ve used it in the past, most often BCCing myself so I have a file ready copy of what I’m sending.  But occasionally, I’ve BCCd someone to keep them from being blindsided by something that I’m confident is going to end up on their desk (but not completely sure).  Many of us have been on the receiving end of a note that was BCCd to someone else.  Most of the time, we don’t know about these, but everyone once in a while we find out.  I don’t know about you, but when I have found out, it’s put a major dent in the relationship with the original sender.  This is mostly because BCC in these cases really meant “Because I’m Covering my Career, and I don’t care about yours” (with the emphasis on the second part).

Which now makes me wonder, is BCC a way to encourage people to be passive-aggressive with their communication?  Is a BCC really necessary?  Why not move the BCC to a CC, and get it out there in the open?  And, why have we still not acknowledged that there are at least two generations in the workplace that have never seen a real “Carbon Copy” of anything?

I sent a note out yesterday and moved what may have been a BCC to a CC.  I’m 99.999% sure it’s going to end up on her desk anyway.  Might as well let the person I’m communicating with know that I’ve already taken care of it for her.  Now if I can just get her to let go of her other passive-aggressive communication habits.

How do you feel about BCC?

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You can not create a collaborative team if you do not have a team of equals.

Oct 5

Posted by Marian Madonia in Team Work, Toxic Environments | Comments off

You can not create a collaborative team if you do not have a team of equals.

If people are not intellectual equals, resentment will set in.

If people are not attitudinal equals, resentment will set in.

If people are not commitment equals, resentment will set in.

If people are not value equals, resentment will set in.

If people do not equally respect each other, resentment will set in.

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Must Be Nice

Sep 25

Posted by Marian Madonia in Attitude, Communication, Difficult People, GarbageFactor, Managers, Stress in the Workplace, Team Work | Comments off

Friday’s were usually Tom’s only day in the office, and typically, he’d work just a half day since he’d already put in so many hours earlier in the week.  Tom had one of those jobs that looked glamorous, but wasn’t.  He traveled every week, often to a different city every day.  His schedule was grueling.  Give presentations all day, drive to the next city, get some dinner, snag some sleep, and start over again the next day.

Though he worked in St. Louis, only one team mate, Mimi, worked with him there.  The rest of his team was in Chicago.  Another division was also located in St. Louis, so he and Mimi both had an office (cubicle) there to go on Friday’s.  Inevitably, the division manager would find a way to tease Tom when he was in the office “must be nice only having to come into the office only one day a week and then make that a half day.  We should all be so lucky.”

Mimi witnessed this for about a year.  She supported Tom and gave him ideas on how to deal with (or let go of) the situation, but Tom kept letting it get under his skin.  Tom was promoted and moved out of that office.  The search began, but the division manager wasn’t waiting.  The very next time that Mimi ran into him, he said to her “must be nice only having to come into the office only one day a week.  Wish I had that job.”

Mimi excitedly replied “You can! We have an opening right now that you can apply for!”  Everyone laughed and the division manager never picked on Mimi again.

Sometimes the best way to get rid of a little garbage is to use a little wit and humor.  Instead of battling people to prove your point, try going in the same direction.

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Eat! Eat! Then I know you’re a part of this team!

Aug 17

Posted by Marian Madonia in GarbageFactor, Managers, Team Work, Toxic Environments | 2 Comments

While working out with my new trainer at the gym, we started talking about the GarbageFactor™.  He shared with me a story about a client (I’ll call her Sara) who was working really hard to lose weight.  Sara had made a serious commitment to her weight loss and was watching everything that she ate to be sure that it was healthy.

At work one day, Sara joined her co-workers for a luncheon that her boss had planned for her team.  The menu that Sara’s manager chose left her with no healthy options for eating.  Committed to her goal, yet also wanting to be a part of the festivities, Sara ate a few bites and spent the rest of her time socializing with her co-workers.

When they returned to work, Sara’s boss called her into his office.  He immediately ripped into her accusing her of “not being a team player” because she “refused to eat at lunch today.”

I can think of lots of things that would be legitimate complaints about someone not being a team player.  This isn’t one of them.  This manager needs to go back to training to learn about what teamwork is and isn’t.  He also needs to learn how to deliver feedback.  You don’t rip into people.

This is garbage and no one needs garbage at work.

Just wait for this economy to turnaround.  Everyone with toxic levels of garbage being dumped on them at work now will be doing the dumping later.  They’ll be dumping high levels of turnover.  How do you like that garbage?

By the way, Sara got even in the end.  She lost the weight and the job.  No more garbage for Sara!

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