Advice on mandatory volunteerism (mandateerism) at the office(examiner.com)
examiner.com
Advice on mandatory volunteerism (mandateerism) at the office
http://www.examiner.com/x-3040-Life-in-the-Cubicle-Examiner~y2009m6d29-Dear-Dudley-How-do-I-deal-with-mandatory-volunteerism-mandateerism-at-the-office
3 comments
The truth is to be cherished and protected. I don't like the cavalier attitude toward lying in this article and others. Not speaking the truth harms everyone involved. If a principal cannot be demonstrated without lying, then someone needs to work on their communication skills.
Shouldn't the authority figure giving the indirect order to volunteer be truthful and inform his subordinates that it isn't an option and that not participating in the "volunteer" activity will have consequences and name those consequences to the subordinates? Indirect mandatory volunteerism is in itself lying. Fight fire with fire.
No. This is very fundamental. Either you value truth or not.
The whole assumption in this article is that the boss is powerful and the employee is weak. I can think of no better way to demonstrate your weakness than by being scared to be truthful.
It's possible to be creative and tactful without lying, but ultimately, you either give up the day, b/c you value your job more than proving a point, but don't lie and compromise yourself in order to have your cake and eat it too. Then you're no better than a scammer who values money above all else.
The whole assumption in this article is that the boss is powerful and the employee is weak. I can think of no better way to demonstrate your weakness than by being scared to be truthful.
It's possible to be creative and tactful without lying, but ultimately, you either give up the day, b/c you value your job more than proving a point, but don't lie and compromise yourself in order to have your cake and eat it too. Then you're no better than a scammer who values money above all else.
Keep living your life with your head in the clouds and I'll keep living mine in reality.
Is it part of the job I'm paid to do?
Is it valid unpaid overtime of the sort that happens in any tech job, when the darn thing won't work and there's a deadline and I have a responsibility?
Would I have volunteered to do it anyway?
If none of the above, I'm going to tell you to shove it, in sufficiently polite but not in the least ambiguous terms.
You think I'm a jerk? Poor team player? I can live with that.
Is it valid unpaid overtime of the sort that happens in any tech job, when the darn thing won't work and there's a deadline and I have a responsibility?
Would I have volunteered to do it anyway?
If none of the above, I'm going to tell you to shove it, in sufficiently polite but not in the least ambiguous terms.
You think I'm a jerk? Poor team player? I can live with that.
My advice to the guy would be the opposite: I'd say "suck it up."
I get it that he doesn't like his co-workers, but what's the big difference between disliking them at the office and disliking them for one day at a charity site? View it as just another work assignment, if you are unable to see any intrinsic value in giving clothes to the poverty-stricken. Sheesh.
I get it that he doesn't like his co-workers, but what's the big difference between disliking them at the office and disliking them for one day at a charity site? View it as just another work assignment, if you are unable to see any intrinsic value in giving clothes to the poverty-stricken. Sheesh.
> View it as just another work assignment, if you are unable to see any intrinsic value in giving clothes to the poverty-stricken.
Spare the self-righteousness.
It's quite possible that the person in question already does something far more effective for said "poverty-stricken". Should she cut back on that to make the boss look good?
Spare the self-righteousness.
It's quite possible that the person in question already does something far more effective for said "poverty-stricken". Should she cut back on that to make the boss look good?
Nope. But s/he shouldn't need to cut back, The boss is mandating a day off from work to help the needy, so the options are a regular's day work, or a day of charity. You're setting up a false dilemma.