This is for a little laugh but also a reality. I can’t say for sure when I first learned about demotivational posters. I vividly remember that they were the roar of the office. We all truly enjoyed them and shared them regularly. So I had to find them again.
So just a quick background. The company Despair Inc began in 1998. They took motivational posters and began to make spoofs based on them. Some of my favorites were the ones that referenced meetings. I felt like I was in one nonstop.
“Teamwork: A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.”
I’m sorry, but this still makes me laugh. However, this also highlights the organization’s culture that inflicted all of us.
“Collaborate: So the best of us have to carry the rest of us.”
Imagine being part of an organization where our joy came from the fact that at least we could laugh at our afflictions. Where leaders and managers feared enraging the big boss. No, not just upsetting or angering, but enraging.
I believe we briefly spoke of Toxin Handlers. This is where I first learned how to be one. This is not to suggest that I didn’t have to take on this role throughout my career again. However, this particular organization stands out more than 14 years later.
As a leader and manager you need to have the pulse of your department, company, or organization. You need to know how your people are operating. Are they under stress (personal and professional)? Are expectations beyond their capabilities? Do they have the resources to effectively focus on the vision and the mission?
A leader is responsible for the culture and climate of the organization. What does the pulse of your organization tell you? Do you have a high turnover rate? Do you people go the extra mile, or do they do just what needs to be done, barely?
