Process or people
At work, what drives what you do? Is it process? Is it about doing things a certain way so that you're efficient and the business makes money? Or is it about people? Is it about making where you work a place where everyone enjoys going to work? Can these two things both be yes? I would say yes.
But, companies tend to go one way or the other.
I know someone that works at a place that's heavy on process. Rules need to be followed because that's what you do. Not, rules need to be followed but because that's what's best for the employees. It's not that these people that are enforcing "rules" want the company to fail, they want the exact the opposite, they want the company to grow, to be more profitable. But, they're not thinking about how these things impact their co-workers. They're not thinking about the moral of their team. They're not asking for feedback and if they receive it doesn't change anything. Their decisions are not being made for the sake of their company culture, they're being made for process, efficiency, production.
In this situation, you just feel like a cog in a whole system of cogs. As you long as you show up and do your job the whole machine works well. There is not a lot of added value you can bring, because you're supposed to be a cog. When you show up and don't operate like the cog that you're supposed to be the machine doesn't work. That's a tough spot to show up every day.
There's definitely a place for processes... it helps us get things accomplished, but don't get so stuck in the process that you forget about the real people that help make what needs to happen a reality.
But, companies tend to go one way or the other.
I know someone that works at a place that's heavy on process. Rules need to be followed because that's what you do. Not, rules need to be followed but because that's what's best for the employees. It's not that these people that are enforcing "rules" want the company to fail, they want the exact the opposite, they want the company to grow, to be more profitable. But, they're not thinking about how these things impact their co-workers. They're not thinking about the moral of their team. They're not asking for feedback and if they receive it doesn't change anything. Their decisions are not being made for the sake of their company culture, they're being made for process, efficiency, production.
In this situation, you just feel like a cog in a whole system of cogs. As you long as you show up and do your job the whole machine works well. There is not a lot of added value you can bring, because you're supposed to be a cog. When you show up and don't operate like the cog that you're supposed to be the machine doesn't work. That's a tough spot to show up every day.
There's definitely a place for processes... it helps us get things accomplished, but don't get so stuck in the process that you forget about the real people that help make what needs to happen a reality.