The Dysfunctional Organization

By Eugenia Brumm

The work environment can be so frustrating that it makes "…you wonder what the company policy is about keeping liquor in your desk drawer."  You are working more hours than you should and can't seem to get your work done. You see problem employees get transferred or, even worse, promoted.  Meetings, teams and collaboration have gotten out of hand.  You are surrounded by poor management.  You are tired of hearing that you are the organization's most important asset because you certainly aren't treated that way.  .  Everyone knows that these behaviors exist, but you only discuss them in whispers and behind closed doors, because to do so openly would jeopardize your job.  Eugenia Brumm pulls back the curtain and exposes what really happens in organizations and why, at times, you wish that you could shout obscenities at work without being reported to HR.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eugenia Brumm
• Release date: Mar 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781733639712

Eugenia Brumm

Eugenia Brumm is a recently retired professional business woman and author of The Dysfunctional Organization.  Eugenia is often heard saying:  “I’m the kind of doctor that doesn’t do anybody any good.” – referring to her Ph.D., even though she has been acknowledged in her professional career with numerous awards.  Her earlier works focused entirely on her chosen profession – Records and Information Management – and should be read only if one is experiencing insomnia.  Her academic credentials, that include two Master’s degrees, bear no relevance to this current work. Eugenia is second-generation Polish, born and raised in Jersey City, NJ, and currently lives in Massachusetts near her adult daughter and precious grandson.  She enjoys life that is fortified by wine and chocolate. 

Book preview

DEDICATION

To Kathleen, who valiantly puts up with all of the other stuff.

To Sig & Linda, for their good-natured, unwavering support and feedback.

To every person who works in an organization, but hates all of the other stuff – you were my inspiration.

THE DYSFUNCTIONAL ORGANISATION

All of the Other Stuff that Makes People Unhappy at Work

EUGENIA BRUMM

The Dysfunctional Organisation

All of the Other Stuff that Makes People Unhappy at Work

Copyright 2019 Eugenia Brumm

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, education, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior consent of the publisher.

Text and Cover Design: meadencreative.com First Edition 2019

ISBN: 978-1-7336397-0-5

eBook ISBN: 978-1-7336397-1-2

CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 When Are We Supposed To Get Our Work Done?

Clerical and Secretarial Duties

CHAPTER 2 Problem Employees

FUMU – FUMO – Fuck Up Move Up; Fuck Up Move Out

References

CHAPTER 3 People – Our Most Important Asset

Performance Evaluations

Training

Onboarding and Orientation

CHAPTER 4 Physical Office Environment

Work Spaces

Cubicles

Open Work Spaces

Personalizing the Work Space

Where Can I Put My Coat?

Personal Comfort

Equipment Issues

CHAPTER 5 The Curse of Connectivity

CHAPTER 6 Recruiting and Hiring

CHAPTER 7 Togetherness

Meetings

Time

Agendas

Silos and Cross-Functional Collaboration

CHAPTER 8 Business Travel

International Business Travel

CHAPTER 9 Workplace Relationships

Offsite Company Meetings

Fraternizing

Games to Create Trust and Teamwork

CHAPTER 10 Strategy and Vision

CHAPTER 11 Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures and Closings (MADC)

CHAPTER 12 Management

Management Training

Delegation

The Micro-Manager

The Do-Over

Managers with No Subordinates

Upper Management

Upper Management – Executives

Not Getting Clear Direction

What Goes on Behind the Scenes

CHAPTER 13 Academia

Grants

Meetings

Attire

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Introduction

Disappointing to many people who have entered the workforce for the first time is the realization that the organization is flawed. Their idealistic view that the organization runs like a finely-tuned Swiss watch gradually gives way to the impression that many actions are ill- conceived, misguided, not thoughtfully considered and, in some instances, appear to be careless and half-baked. This is true whether that organization is corporate, academic or government. Idealism slowly evaporates, disappointment sets in and the excited newbie becomes discouraged, settling into an ever-increasing sense of dissatisfaction. In my experiences, it is not the work itself that causes the downturn. It is everything else – all of the other stuff. For the most part, people are not bothered or frustrated by their work. In general, people like the work that they do. They are competent and can fulfill the job requirements, often exceeding them. They just want to be able to do that work without all of the other stuff. This book is about everything else, all of the other stuff. It is not fictional, although some of the scenarios described might strike the reader as fiction. There really is no need for me to exaggerate or fabricate stories, since actual experiences themselves, whether mine or others, are colorful enough, are painful enough, are bizarre enough.

I want to thank all of those who contributed to this book – knowingly and unknowingly. Without realizing it, many individuals and a variety of organizations contributed the case  studies,  examples  and  scenarios  presented  in these pages. They are real, having been gathered over the course of several decades. Some are my personal experiences and those are presented as such, while some I have witnessed and some have been shared with me by those who suffered through them. The case studies can evoke smiles, pathos, anger and disbelief in readers, depending on their sympathies and where their allegiances lie. Because an organizational issue can be multi-dimensional, it is not possible to neatly classify it according to one particular topic. Some scenarios could neatly fit into more than one chapter for different reasons. For example, the chapter on Problem Employees includes a description of a woman who should have been identified as problematic during the recruiting and hiring process. Her story, therefore, could have been included in the chapter on Recruiting and Hiring. This example underscores the point that it is not any one thing that causes an organization to be dysfunctional. Dysfunction is like a virus that infects the organization, eventually damaging it at the cellular level. The entire entity is infected, not just one part of it.

In order to protect the innocent and the guilty, I have not used the actual names of individuals or organizations. Organizations in these case studies are geographically dispersed, cut across industry types and vary in size. There is no common thread across them that accounts for the similarities other than the fact that each one is some type of organization. If you think that you recognize the organization in any of the described scenarios, you may very well be wrong. My reason for saying this is that there is a great similarity across organizations in their dysfunctions. As I describe a scenario in Company A, you may be convinced that it is Company B, because you have experienced or witnessed it in Company B. But that scenario is found in Company C, Company D, Company E and so forth. One specific type of behavior can be found across any number of organizations. For over 30 years I have worked in the same profession, but in different environments – corporate, academia, consulting and government. In each of these environments I have witnessed similar and even the exact same organizational weaknesses and strengths. In fact, the similar nature of dysfunctional behaviors across organizations led me to use the singular Organization in the title of this book, suggesting that each organization, simply by the fact that it is an organization, is dysfunctional in some way.

I believe that many actions taken in any organization are driven by factors that remain hidden, unidentified by those who are impacted by the actions and may even be consciously unidentified by those who take those actions and make certain decisions. Lurking beneath the surface, much like an iceberg, an overwhelming urge to promote oneself leads to decisions that have little or nothing to do with the value of the decision or action to the organization, little or nothing to do with the amount of data or information presented or with the expertise or credibility of the individuals proposing a course of action. Rather, I propose that three P’s underlie many actions that are taken and many decisions that are made in an organization – power, politics, personality. I also maintain that these three P’s impede progress in an organization. Even if only one of the three P’s is at play, it is unlikely that the best course of action will be taken. More often than not, two or three P’s drive the actions and decisions. Decisions, therefore, are often made not based on what is best for the organization, but what is best for ME.

What will enable me to gain more power? How do I maintain the power that I do have? If I take this action, I will be more closely aligned with the politically astute in this organization. I need to maintain my ties with the politically strong in this organization, so I will make this decision.

Intimately linked to the three P’s and sometimes directly resulting from the three P’s are many aspects that cause employee dissatisfaction in the workplace and that I describe in these chapters. The need to make a mark in the organization is fueled by an unacknowledged personal agenda to prove oneself and to contribute to one’s growing resume. The concept of making tough decisions is based on the perception to be achieved rather than on strengthening the bottom line – the perception of shareholders, executives and as yet unknown future employers.

Political maneuverings manifest themselves in organizational cliques and gossip groups, closely resembling junior high behaviors, causing employees to be distrustful and constantly vigilant. The heads-down worker who naively believes that upward mobility is based solely on performance is at a disadvantage and is no match for the politically astute. As readers know all too well, those who gain favor with the politically strong are more likely to be rewarded with promotions and the benefits thereof. When it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, competence, sincerity and output take second stage and, by themselves, are insufficient. It is discouraging to the diligent worker to see unexceptional performers gain favor with power players and watch as they are rewarded with promotions and raises.

As I was writing this book, I thought back to the early days when I entered the workforce. Work used to be fun. We worked hard, but we enjoyed being a worker. We enjoyed the organization and the people who worked with us. We left at the end of each day feeling that we had earned an honest wage and went home to family and friends. We knew that we reported for duty at the same time every day and we could count on ending our work day at the same time every day. Our weekend began on Friday at 5:00 p.m. and ended Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. When we took vacations, they were real vacations. We were completely disconnected – entirely removed from work. We had balanced lives and there was no conversation about work-life balance because that concept did not, as yet, exist. Work-life balance was the way that we lived.

The nature of organizations has changed over the decades. Employees used to be shown appreciation even in the very largest organizations. Awards, bonuses, trips for outstanding performance were not out of the ordinary. Early in my career double-digit raises were common. Raises have declined and benefits have been significantly reduced. Company pensions have gone the way of dinosaurs. They simply don’t exist. Maybe global warming is to blame. My father, who was of the World War II generation used to say that he felt sorry for my generation and those to come. As he saw companies outsource their operations, delete pensions and lay off employees, he said: You will never know what it’s like to be able to work for a company until you decide to leave and to count on a pension until you die. It seems as though there was a short period in American history when this was true. But that has ended.

When I hear organizations bemoan the fact that employees have no loyalty to the company, I say: Loyalty is a two- way street. Companies have no loyalty to employees. So, employees have no loyalty to companies. It is not uncommon to hear employees voice the following: They don’t care about me. They’re in it for themselves. I’m expendable. I could be let go tomorrow.

What has happened is sad. People go to work, many muttering expletives as they arrive, dreading what will come down the pike that day.

Will the boss be in a good mood? How am I going to get my work done by the deadline? I hope that the system upgrade allows me to get into my computer.

I have to complete my 3-hour sexual harassment training today. Why do we have a meeting scheduled at 4:00 p.m. on Friday? I wish that I had an office with a door that I could close. It’s so annoying hearing all of the conversations when I’m trying to think.

The ideas presented in this book are mine and mine alone. They are based on my personal observations and experiences as well as conversations that I have had with employed individuals in many organizations and environments over the course of my work life. These ideas have been percolating for several years, fed by my exposure to work situations and environments that, in many instances, caused a reasonable person to notice that so many people are less than happy and satisfied in their workplaces. I have come to the conclusion that people, for the most part, love their chosen profession but are unhappy in their jobs. When people do like their jobs, it most often is attributable to their immediate boss and not to the organization as a whole. People are extremely grateful that they have jobs. They just wish that things would be different at work. Those who come to work each day and do their best are heroic, because they persevere and may even excel, despite their dysfunctional organization. I salute them.

My observations emanate from the white-collar world, as I have not worked in the trades, in retail or in many industry types. The scenarios that presented themselves in the professional, white collar world may not pertain to or reflect the trade professions and those other industry types. I am unqualified to discuss those work environments.

Taking a step back and examining practices that have become almost sacrosanct is not without risk. Criticism can be thrown at my very personal analyses and explanations that I present in this book. Those who sit in certain positions and functions will take offense at some or all of the ideas and analyses presented here. I make no apologies as the material is not intended to win friends and influence people. That is done enough in organizations. Bare-faced truth is often white-washed, overlooked, denied, and even squashed. This book attempts to describe those behaviors and practices that result in dysfunctional organizations. If you disagree, that is your prerogative. If you disagree, you may be an individual who is causing or contributing to the dysfunction. As such, you do not recognize it. Or you refuse to acknowledge it.

This book does not attempt to convince anyone or to change anyone’s mind. It is simply a reporting of experiences, both mine and others, and you are free to dismiss or disagree with what is presented here.

The tone of this book could lead the reader to an erroneous impression of the author as a Negative Nellie. However, those who know the author have described her as the person who makes lemonade when handed a lemon. Past employees have asked her: Are you always this positive? The author is extremely happy, fulfilled and self-actualized.

I have loved my profession, most of the jobs that I have held, many of my subordinates and some of my bosses. Above all, I have had extremely interesting jobs, where I was privileged to do pioneering work in my field. My jobs have been intellectually demanding and stimulating and afforded me opportunities to interact with and collaborate with other professionals, some of whom have become friends.

As you read this book, I sincerely hope that none of it resonates with you, as that means that you work in an organization that is part of a rare breed – a place where things work as they should and things are done for the right reasons and all employees at all levels feel honored to be working there.

CHAPTER 1

When are We Supposed to Get Our Work Done?

Many organization-related activities that have grown up over the years and that were not part of my early work world prevent employees from getting their job done in a timely manner during what should be normal work hours. I feel sorry for younger people in the workforce, since they have no frame of reference regarding a reasonable work life. For them, it is normal to always be connected to work, to attend one meeting after another, to make their own business travel arrangements, to keep track of their own business expenses and be required to submit those, replete with required receipts. It seems natural to be required to multi-task, to chaotically switch gears from sending meeting requests, to revising them, to accepting other meeting requests, to taking required training, to answering emails, to crafting and sending emails, etc., etc.

People are overworked, working more hours than they should and they are frustrated and upset because even though they’re working extra hours, they can’t seem to get the job done for which they have been hired. Once becoming part of the organization, an employee’s eight hours must be spent juggling, participating, reporting, meeting with, training about, and so on and so on. If I could just work on what I need to do, it would be great! But I have to do all of this other stuff! When am I supposed to get my work done?

The organization stuff is ongoing, is required and the employee, who has job-related responsibilities, obligations and deadlines receives no assistance with this other stuff. Where does all of the time go? Why is it that eight hours are gone and I have made little progress on this report, these financials, this summary, this research, etc.? In order to get their real work done, people are coming in early, staying late and, worst of all, working at home after hours during time that should be spent recharging body and soul. Instead of work to provide us with a life, work becomes our life, not because we want it to, but because we want to keep our jobs so as not to be unemployed and financially destitute. The real abomination is bringing work and being connected while on vacation, even in another country. I am a firm believer in completely disconnecting while on vacation. Unless the tether