It Comes from the Top!

“It all comes from the top and filters down!” I yell at my girlfriend who is sitting next to me.

I am incensed.

My girlfriend has worked in the same job for the last 3 years, and over that time has learned to hate it.

I worked in my last office for 4 years, and loved every second of it, until….a new boss took over the department.

Where my old boss fostered openness in communication and trust in getting the job done, my new boss fostered an environment of fear from retribution and a “cover my ass” mentality that saw, sometimes, 5 or 6 people being carbon-copied on emails that had nothing to do with them.

Where my old boss let me make decisions, my new boss had every decision go through her.

My old boss offered us flexible work schedules that were especially helpful for working moms.  My new boss made us work Saturdays, Sundays, and 9-5 on weekdays (with two random days off per week).

My old boss used my talents at writing and the web to make the organization stronger.  My new boss tied my hands behind my back and took away all of my responsibilities.

I enjoyed working for my old boss.  I enjoyed every day.  I hated working for my new boss.  I dreaded coming into work every day.

The old office was bright with laughter and chatter.  The new office saw, for the first time in 4 years, a higher-up walk by the water cooler and tell us to “get back to work.”

By the way, by all measurable results, our old office was much more productive.  Why?  Because we liked coming in to work.  We enjoyed each other’s company.  We liked working together.  How did this happen?  Our boss set a tone that was fair, flexible, encouraging, and respectful.  Put simply, we wanted to work for the company.

It only takes one bad boss to ruin a whole office.  It takes a lot more bad underlings to make things miserable.  But it’s not the people that makes for a bad work environment.  It’s a bad boss.

I am convinced that you could put any 15 people under my old, good boss, and they would have had an equally-great time and would have been equally-productive.  You could put any 15 people under my new, bad boss, and they would all suck.  It comes from the top!