What's been going on where you work? There's a good chance that you're going through some of the same things everyone else is. In fact, it might be helpful (even comforting) to take a look at some of the trends I've noticed lately.
1. People are working harder than they've ever worked in their careers. They're putting in more time and pushing harder to produce results to meet ambitious deadlines. Downsizing (or the threat of it) has piled a bigger load on everyone's plate. Stress levels seem to be red-lining. In the past, there were more peaks and valleys. Now it seems the valleys have all been filled in with more, more, more. This stress is taking a toll on personal lives and mental health, but people are reluctant to take their foot off the gas for fear of being left on the curb.
2. There is a cry for direction. Employees everywhere are asking top management to clarify where they are going as an organization. The word "vision" is popping up more than it ever has before. It appears that employees want to know the "where" and the "why" so they can do less wheel spinning and make some progress toward a clear objective. Just being "busy" isn't enough; they want to know they're moving in the right direction.
3. Managers are having difficulty translating the new expectations about their role into day-to-day behavior. The jargon is flying, but there seems to be little real understanding about what it really means. For instance, what does it mean to "coach" and what about "leadership versus management?" And what does it really mean to "empower" someone?
4. Companies are struggling with breaking the old mold and creating new systems and operating guidelines. Management and employees alike are finding it difficult to give up the old systems and invent new ones that are more in alignment with the new culture they want to move toward. For instance, top management wants the culture to change but is struggling with how to change the way people are paid or hired or promoted.
5. Loyalty to one's company is shaky at best. There is a skepticism and perhaps a more realistic perception that career management is something for which each employee needs to take more responsibility. People are less likely to be complacent about their employability.
6. Companies are beginning to share more information with employees. CEOs and CFOs are taking steps to educate employees so they understand the financial picture of the organization. Perhaps the next step will be to show each employee how to make an impact on the bottom line.
7. Cross-functional systems or "process thinking" is easy to grasp intellectually but painful to implement. Since the beginning of the industrialized world, departmentalization has been the way to organize work. Now "turf" is a four-letter word. People are struggling with more ambiguity as they try to figure out who is accountable for what across many departments.
8. Reorganizations aren't going to end. As companies try to flex and conform to customer and market demands, the organizational structure is in a continual state of flux.
9. Senior managers seem to be on the move more than ever before. Since leadership changes occur with each merger and new strategies dictate a sudden shift in corporate direction, managers' job security has vanished, and they know it. They are more mobile--changing jobs more often and even changing industries.
Joan Lloyd is a columnist, author and consultant on career and management issues. If you have a topic that you would like considered, write to Joan Lloyd, 10701 W. North Avenue, Suite 203, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, e-mail Lloyd at jlloyd@execpc.com or visit her Web page at http://www.joanlloyd.com/.
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