Is Your Employer as Bad as You Think?

“Best Places to Work.” “Employee Engagement surveys.” “Exit interviews.” These are just a few of the constant reminders that people have feelings about where and for whom they work. For years, our consulting team has talked with employees who are unhappy with their supervisor or organization overall – and sometimes for good reasons. (Like a few occasions where the leader was, frankly, an arrogant jerk or an employee was mishandled). Is your employer really as bad as you think? Possibly, but it may not be that different from others. It‘s not a matter of IF your employer is messed up, as many are. Instead, it’s a matter of WHERE your employer is messed up and HOW BAD. So, here are five of the trends that we see spanning across ALL organizations.

Dysfunction is common.

Like their employees, most organizations have some dysfunction, including in my own. And it’s easier to see the craziness in our organizations or supervisor(s) instead of in ourselves. Like the nice-looking people seen on TV, organizations that are not your own can look appealing from a distance, but get close enough and look long enough, and you will see that they have pimples and wrinkles too.

Organizations are not human.

People have a habit of attributing human traits to the organizations where they work. For example, have you ever heard someone say, “The place where I work is just plain nuts!” Giving human characteristics to an object is called anthropomorphism. (Remember that the next time you watch Jeopardy!) But while organizations are a collection of humans, they are not human. It is the people – owners, leaders, and employees – that create cultures, and these cultures often do contain some cancer cells, even if benign.

Supervisors and employees are imperfect.

Even organizations with highly recognized leaders and authors or that win awards for “Best Places to Work” have employees that feel dissatisfied or mistreated. And few organizations and leaders, if any, stay on top of the awards mountain forever. Leaders have imperfections. And when you go to the next organization? Same thing! As stated earlier, it is only a matter of where it is messed up and how bad. Not if.

Dissatisfaction is epidemic.

Through the years, we have often heard employees from some of our clients tell us how bad and broken their situation is. Things look so much better “over there.” But we have also been “over there,” and some people “there” feel the same way! Remember the days of the old chain mail letters? If everyone switched their organization every time they were dissatisfied, eventually they would end up right back where they started, and it would feel like new!

We are very sloooow learners.

People have always looked to spouses, careers, accomplishments, wealth accumulation, and/or employers to provide them with the feeling of satisfaction. But, are we ever really satisfied for any extended period of time? Based upon the number of divorces, affairs, job changes, house and car purchases, the answer is a very simple NO. You don’t hear too many TED talks or see too many motivational books about being content in your present circumstances. Yet, sometimes we need to be reminded that it is ok to live with imperfection and to not get everything we want. Because, like a great dinner at a fine restaurant, even when we do, the feeling of satisfaction will not last long.

Comparison is normal, even though it can create a sense of discontentment with what we have. Sometimes leaders can be more than just annoying, they can be toxic. But the reality is, in most cases, we are a group of very imperfect people, employees and employers alike, trying to not let our imperfections get in the way of the mission we are working towards. Sometimes a change of employment is necessary – providing a fresh start and new opportunities. But no organization, job, or boss can meet all of our desires and needs long term. There are some needs that God alone can provide and questions he alone can address. So, if you think the place where you work is just plain nuts, remember this: “The grass is greener on the other side… but it still needs to be cut.” - Unknown

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Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.