Cliché Killer - 8/25
26 08 2008For whatever reason, every boss I’ve ever had has felt compelled to use little clichés in an attempt to encourage, train, or even chastise me. I’ll usually smile and move on with life. What they fail to realize is that I don’t smile because I’m enjoying my work or their aphorisms. Instead, I’m amusing myself. Usually at the expense of my boss.
When dealing with Gen Why, managers should remember that we are a generation for whom sarcasm and cynicism are the norm. We didn’t grow up on Leave it to Beaver. We grew up on The Simpsons. Our sense of humor and our sense of what makes for a normal (or an irritating) interaction is far removed from the good old days that sprouted these expressions. Yet, managers keep using phrases that even seemed to irritate the Beav, thinking that we’ll spring to our feet with a “Yessir! Good point, sir!” each time they share one of these little pearls of wisdom.
So, on Mondays, I’m going to take a few seconds to address one of these clichés. I’ll tell you what I think when I hear it. (This part doubles as a great way for me to relieve a little Monday tension.) After that, I’ll break down in a sentence or two the lesson I think should be taken away from my reactions to this particularly bothersome managerial “technique.” With a little luck, common sense will prevail and managers will stop spouting this junk.
This week’s winning expression:
Boss says:
“I’m not paying you to stand there!”
I think:
“As a matter of fact, you are. See! I’m on the clock. And I’m standing. Simple as that. Or was this a request for me to start working?”
The lesson:
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. I’ll accomplish a straight-forward task and appreciate your no-BS style long before I will voluntarily allow my boss to win a battle of wits.
I agree these types of mindless cliches are nearly useless. The “say what you mea, mean what you say” philosophy is an excellent prescription for good management. This makes me thnk of the best book on management I ever read; “The One Minute Manager.” Ever read it? I’m curious what a Gen-Yer thinks about it.
I’d like to hear more from you on the impact of sarcasm and cynicism in the workplace. Do you think these attitudes (what else would you call them) are helpful or harmful to a positive work environment? Are they harmful enough to validate disciplining someone for being outwardly cynical or sarcastic?
I haven’t had a chance to read that book, but I’ll swing by the library and pick it up. Look for me to opine once I’ve had a chance to read it.
As for attitudes, I think that there are absolutely times when it would be justifiable to discipline someone who is in need of a serious attitude adjustment. This is particularly true when the problem employee’s disparagement comes in the form of personal attacks on other employees.
With that said, I think that attitude problems can be misdiagnosed as a result of the different lenses through which generations view the world. In addition to trying to cut down on opportunities that are given to smart-asses, one of the goals of the cliché killer feature is to show employers that sarcasm is a major outlet for young people, myself included. As such, it isn’t always a sign of a bad attitude, maladjustment, or even insubordination. Sometimes it’s just the way we interact with the world.
Look for more on this soon, I’d like to tackle it at length.