Comments on: Symptoms of an Unhealthy Workforce #1: Caring about Stupid Stuff

By: davidray

davidray — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:14:04 +0000

Hi John,
Good luck getting out. I hope you're able to choose your own path and not have it chosen for you.

Dave

By: Umm..."John" :-)

Umm..."John" :-) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:43:30 +0000

David,

I stumbled on your blog while reading an article on manhattanjobs.com "5 Things To Do If You Lose Your IT Job." The article said you knew the writing was on the wall because there was literally nothing to do. I can relate to that, because that's the situtation I'm in right now. I manage the IT Department and the projects we're working on are meaningless as we continue to lose sales and profitability. My wife told me it would be better if I didn't go down with this sinking ship. She's right, I need to get out of here.

By: Ash Gorun

Ash Gorun — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:08:44 +0000

Hi Dave,

Thanks for replying. Yes, I've been focusing on them but if I turn to myself I've done a good deal of work because it frees me from correcting their mistakes, especially of one project manager. I've turned towards myself and I just focus on the work without the politics that are so common in the office setting. I'll take your advice and improve myself more and focus more on what I can do. Suffice it to say, I'll stop focusing on them and their infantile things.

Thanks alot for your help!

By: The Corporate IT politics game « Leaning towards java

The Corporate IT politics game « Leaning towards java — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:53:27 +0000

[...] Christiansen, author of the superb Technology Darkside blog tells this story, and I can see great similarities with corporate IT. In this case David talks about a [...]

By: davidray

davidray — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:35:05 +0000

Hi Ash,
Well, that's kind of what an unhealthy workplace does to people - it makes them lose track of what matters and obsess about things that don't.

I'm not sure how you get people to act in a way you see as mature. I'm not convinced you even want to try to get your co-workers to behave the way you'd like them to. Instead of focusing on them, I suggest you focus on you. What can you do to make things better? How can you model appropriate behavior? I think you'll find the situation better if you worry about the things you can influence and don't sweat the stuff you can't.

Dave

By: Ash Gorun

Ash Gorun — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:18:15 +0000

I've read your blog, which is really interesting. I've got a question for you. In this recession, I think its pretty good to have a job. But what if your co-workers are frankly brats and decide not to talk to you? This is a mature financial company in which the IT group I am in are children, so it suprises me that they will act this way even in a resession.