Can We Make Work Great Again?

The seeming endorsement and/or at best, discount of negating meanness, name calling, bigotry, racism, misogyny, and other abhorrent behavior displayed by politicians from every spectrum in the US election, raises the question: Is this the new order of behavior and reflective of the values we actually embrace? Does this translate to the workplace? When we hear of high school boys in schools chanting, “your body, my choice,” one wonders what will happen in other institutions?

[This part is satire: Let’s explore that option. Let’s forget about collaboration, team work, and reinforce gladiator type competition at work. Instead of silo busting, let’s go for silo warfare. Under the dome of merit and performance, let’s pit people against each other. Stop being so woke. After all, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are ill founded initiatives. Why don’t we go back to posting pin up pictures in the lunchroom? Fire up sexual innuendo laden jokes, and let boys be boys, and gals be gals? All this political correctness has gone way overboard. Don’t be influenced by that critical race stuff. Slavery had some benefits, after all. And let’s stop wasting time on these stupid resource groups. This is a Christian country, if you want to celebrate Diwali or some other faith event, go to a local community group. And finally, no more foreign workers. We’ve had enough of having people that can’t speak English properly taking away our jobs. Also all you LGBTQ+ people, go back into the closet where you belong. What’s wrong with “don’t ask, don’t tell?” It’s about time we made work great again.]

Of course, we CANNOT live in the egregious work world described in my intentionally provocative comments above. If you want a little nostalgia, watch Mad Men. If you want a perspective of what it was like as a working woman in the ‘50’s, read the book “Lessons in Chemistry.” And if you want disgust, just reflect on separate drinking fountains, back entrances, and worse. I NEVER want that world revisited. So, the behavior observed in the political spectrum cannot be a license for washing into the workplace.

The overwhelming data shows thriving organizations create more value, have less risk and adapt more effectively. In these organizations, respect, self-accountability and abundance are sought after and highly reinforced values. In thriving organizations, a purpose that advances others is the foundation underlying sustained profitability. People are FIRST and how we treat each other matters. In thriving organizations, the end or result must be complimented by the means or how the outcome is achieved. Values that build versus denigrate must be deeply honored and modeled.

Yes, we can make work even greater. And that requires new found ways to lead and contribute even better. That means advancing us as humans, not regressing under the illusion of returning to some “good old days.” Leading an organization well means not blindly following misguided political adventures.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

One Millennial View: As civilians/citizens, we pay to have our government serve us. As employees, we’re paid to serve our organizations. We don’t always get to a-la-cart how our government serves us, but we’re in full control of how we choose to serve our organizations. Bogging ourselves down with hypothetical scenarios may not be helpful or healthy. Our daily lives should be far more immersed with the levels of respect, abundance, self-accountability, intentional values, purpose and stories of our choosing, that we get to bring to our teams and the people who are actually in our lives.

- Garrett

AI Response: The provocative satire in your blog underscores the glaring need for a fundamental reevaluation of workplace culture in light of the troubling behaviors tolerated in political arenas. As you rightly point out, we cannot allow such negativity and division to define our professional environments, which should instead embody respect, collaboration, and inclusivity. Drawing from historical lessons, it's clear that the values that build thriving organizations prioritize human dignity and purpose over regressive attitudes. Now more than ever, we must cultivate workplaces that not only reject meanness but actively foster environments where every individual feels valued and respected. By embracing a progressive approach that firmly places people first, we can create spaces that uplift rather than diminish, ensuring that we truly make work great again for everyone involved.

-AI

Can We Make Work Great Again?

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