Coping with the Clueless in Charge

Does your organization’s management suffer from a credibility gap? They bring out program after program – jumping on the latest management bandwagon – then fail to follow through. Meanwhile, you and your fellow employees invest countless hours in these short-lived special initiatives on employee engagement, recognition, talent management or other fill-in-the-blank trendy topic.

With an uncooperative economy offering little job movement, it’s easy to become frustrated (the “enemy of engagement”) and cynical. Try not to dwell on the precious resources wasted in these “flavor-of-the-month” programs.

So what can you do to preserve whatever sanity you have left? Here are several suggestions:

• Find humor in the situation – amuse yourself and your colleagues with what management is going to do next. Play games like Business Word Bingo or the Buzz Word Generator.
• Consider management’s ineffectiveness as a learning tool that can make you more marketable … seriously, so you know what NOT to do in your next job.
• Maintain perspective – keep in mind this is a temporary situation (although it may not seem that way). Eventually you can change jobs or retire.
• Make an anonymous suggestion to get your organization featured on Undercover Boss or take up a collection to get a management coach. [Just kidding!]
• Besides maintaining perspective and a sense of humor, find ways to de-stress; e.g., go for a walk in the fresh air or engage in whatever healthy activity brings you endorphins.

These are just a sample of attitude adjustment coping mechanisms. I welcome your ideas!