When fruit turns blue, its time to throw it out

The old sayings goes; "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". Does that mean that micro management is next to godliness? Not quite.





Micro-management is a style that I have never gotten use to. There was a line in one of my favorite movies that reflects the management style of too many companies. Red, Morgan Freeman's character is the Shawshank Redemption, was released from prison and returns to the workforce. Before he takes a bathroom break, he asks "Permission to take a leak, boss?". Granted this is an extreme example, but not too far from the truth. A friend of mine in sales, stepped away from his desk for 5 minutes to take a breather and a bathroom break. This was not his "scheduled" 15 minute break. When he returned to his desk, he had received a voicemail, two e-mails, and an instant message. All of these where freaking out and wondering why he was not at his desk.





The best manager I have ever had the pleasure of working with did a very simple thing. She gave her employees the freedom to do their jobs. She expected hard and quality work, but she allowed each employee to let their own personality come through. Overtime was never mandated. But the interesting part was that all of her employees went the extra mile.



The bottom line is that if a leader has to micro manage, they are self-conscience of their our faults as a manager. A great employee looks to management for leadership. A great manager responses by projecting confidence and inspiring creativity.

My Cubicle Masifesto

The corporate machine has led you astray. The American dream has been distorted. Now is the time for us to rise up and change the reality that we live.

When our baby boomer parents joined the work force there was a dream. This dream was nurtured from the successes of their parents. This generation saw a quality of life improvement that covered everything from indoor plumbing, graduating high school, owning a home away from the family farm, and the invention of retirement. Our parents embraced this dream and took the next step. This generation attended college and headed to the workforce under the idea that if you are loyal and work hard for a company, that company will do right by its employees. For the most part this was correct. So what has changed?

The corporate culture today is that the company will do what is best for the stockholders, not its hard working foot solders. Is this wrong? No. The company is in business to make money. However, we as employees, still have this generation old concept that the company cares about us as individuals. This is simply not true.

I call on all cubicle slaves to free yourselves of the chains that you have allowed the company and society to place on you. At the end of the day, the only one who can comfort you at night is you!

My challenge for you this Sunday is to take a piece of paper and write down all of the things that you enjoy doing or things that you would like to do. This is a free thinking exercise. If you like to paint, write, build, or go to Wal-Mart and play count the mullets, write it down. Now, once you have your list, put it on your refrigerator. Why? This is you! Don't hide it because corporate America will think that you are less professional or not dedicated to only to the company. Who cares! The company does not think about you and your family when they made the decision to cancel holiday time off or institute Saturday work hours.

Define who you are and embrace it.

Welcome to cubicle 363

Welcome to my cube. I'm sure that I am not unlike many of you. I go to work every day with a positive outlook. "today will be a good day". What I have discovered is that the view from the inside of a cubicle does not change.

Therefore, why not take humor in the daily rediculousness.

This blog will serve as an outlet to all of you that refuss to drink the corporate koolaid.