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I also started a business in 2008 and it's still going strong a decade later. Many businesses fail and some succeed for many different reasons, one of which can be a fair dose of luck. I will say that I had (and have) the advantage of a spouse who works full-time, so I was able to roll with the ebb and flow that characterizes most small businesses, at least in the early years.
Haha there are a lot of us! I also had the amazing good fortune to start a B2B company... in 2008. Months before the worst of the crash. But we are still around ten years later like you, though the first years were rough for sure as happens with many new companies.
It shouldn't have to be that way, but so many of us have awful times at our jobs. Many times, you leave one bad place and the next place is worse. Bad managers and bad coworkers are everywhere. I've heard all sorts of stories from family members and have experienced many nasty people at work myself. Why can't the workplace be somewhere you like going rather than hell on Earth?
I didn't read all the pages of responses. So, apologies if I'm repeating what's already been presented. But I think in general, work is a necessity for the majority of us. So most of us are not going into it with a 100% positive attitude to begin with. Yes, I'm choosing to work for XYZ company. But the circumstances that led me to the decision (having to work) wasn't exactly my choosing.
Add on to the fact that you may be stuck in undesirable situation or having to deal with undesirable people doesn't help. In the end, we have very little control over our work environment compared to other parts of our lives.
And to make it worse, its also a part of our lives that we spend the most time in. So all that adds up to a potentially nightmarish scenario.
That said - many folks also try and make the best of it. It's not hanging out at the beach on vacation. But there are a lot of positives that can come of it.
I’ll tell you exactly how me as a “you’re there to work” person makes it through the day....actually working. I’ve been noted as the most efficient supervisor on my team because I don’t waste time with small talk.
My job has one of those stupid social committees as well. You know how much celebration I got from them when it was my birthday in June or I just finished my Masters this month. Zero. But they go all out and have damn baby showers every week almost. Yeah, I get babies are worshipped but can the guy who worked for3 years while working 40-50 hours a week get a little love when a baby can be created in one minute of drunk sex?
I guess our companies have different missions. I work for a multi billion dollar, multi national company. Our motto is we are a family. We have our own internal "facebook" type of social media where I regularly interact with our CEO. The benefits provided by this company is unmatched by any other I have ever worked for, which is why I will stay with them.
Last time someone in our office moved, a few of us showed up to help.
Who says the only way to be profitable is to have a whole office of office bots?
I'll admit that I have never actually attended my own birthday celebration in the main office of our branch. I work mostly out of another office much closer to home. My birthday every year always seem to coincide with something important work related.
From my experience, a happy worker is a productive worker. Sure, office bots are pretty productive, too. We have quite a few office bots, actually, especially in the main office. That's the wonderful thing about our system. If you hate to socialize with coworkers, you don't have to participate in our events. And it shows everytime we have a branch wide meeting. They would serve pizza and other foods while the speakers talk. Then after, all the office bots without saying a word to anyone would go straight back to their desks and offices. It's always the same people. The rest of us, including the branch manager, VP, etc. stay behind and catch up on things with people.
Coincidentally, our quarterly report came in. We've been earning record profits for a while now. So clearly, our pleasantries haven't affected our profit margins.
I guess our companies have different missions. I work for a multi billion dollar, multi national company. Our motto is we are a family. We have our own internal "facebook" type of social media where I regularly interact with our CEO. The benefits provided by this company is unmatched by any other I have ever worked for, which is why I will stay with them.
Last time someone in our office moved, a few of us showed up to help.
Who says the only way to be profitable is to have a whole office of office bots?
I'll admit that I have never actually attended my own birthday celebration in the main office of our branch. I work mostly out of another office much closer to home. My birthday every year always seem to coincide with something important work related.
From my experience, a happy worker is a productive worker. Sure, office bots are pretty productive, too. We have quite a few office bots, actually, especially in the main office. That's the wonderful thing about our system. If you hate to socialize with coworkers, you don't have to participate in our events. And it shows everytime we have a branch wide meeting. They would serve pizza and other foods while the speakers talk. Then after, all the office bots without saying a word to anyone would go straight back to their desks and offices. It's always the same people. The rest of us, including the branch manager, VP, etc. stay behind and catch up on things with people.
Coincidentally, our quarterly report came in. We've been earning record profits for a while now. So clearly, our pleasantries haven't affected our profit margins.
Interesting. In one of my first jobs during my IT career, a "scientific study" was put up on the company's bulletin board that said that happy workers are unproductive workers and that the more miserable the worker is the more productive he or she is. The jobs at that company were made as miserable as possible, pleasing management greatly.
Unfortunately for management, the turnover rate was very high there, just reaching about 50% (my colleagues and I calculated it every month) when I left. A few years after I left, that company collapsed. I wonder why? LOL!
Interesting. In one of my first jobs during my IT career, a "scientific study" was put up on the company's bulletin board that said that happy workers are unproductive workers and that the more miserable the worker is the more productive he or she is. The jobs at that company were made as miserable as possible, pleasing management greatly.
Unfortunately for management, the turnover rate was very high there, just reaching about 50% (my colleagues and I calculated it every month) when I left. A few years after I left, that company collapsed. I wonder why? LOL!
Our company is the opposite. Rarely anyone leaves. Our company is the type that people retire from. We are in it for the long run.
To give you an idea of how worker friendly our company is, last year we had a guy that finally retired a second time at age 70 or so. He first retired in his 60s. After a few years he came back and wanted his job back because he was bored to death at home. The company said happy to have you back.
In fact, I made a thread a couple years ago describing how we had a team of seniors.
Again, we spend most of our day at work. Why be anti-social about it? I'm just glad after years working in the corporate world I finally found a company that is actually good to its employees and is still able to make a lot of profits.
By the way, our company uses the Theory Z style of management. I'm guessing all the "you're there to work not to socialize" people support Theories X and Y.
Our company is the opposite. Rarely anyone leaves. Our company is the type that people retire from. We are in it for the long run.
To give you an idea of how worker friendly our company is, last year we had a guy that finally retired a second time at age 70 or so. He first retired in his 60s. After a few years he came back and wanted his job back because he was bored to death at home. The company said happy to have you back.
In fact, I made a thread a couple years ago describing how we had a team of seniors.
Again, we spend most of our day at work. Why be anti-social about it? I'm just glad after years working in the corporate world I finally found a company that is actually good to its employees and is still able to make a lot of profits.
By the way, our company uses the Theory Z style of management. I'm guessing all the "you're there to work not to socialize" people support Theories X and Y.
Yes, the companies that I worked for were definitely Theory X companies. Especially in the last IT company that I worked for, management had an absolute disdain for its workers, even rage. I'm glad that you work for a decent company. I would be jealous if I wasn't retired.
Our senior management talks a good game of theory Z, but actual day to day management is all theory X. You must work for Bechtel or FlourDaniel or some other privately held company.
Yes, the companies that I worked for were definitely Theory X companies. Especially in the last IT company that I worked for, management had an absolute disdain for its workers, even rage. I'm glad that you work for a decent company. I would be jealous if I wasn't retired.
Trust me, I've worked for companies that treated the workers like a burden. The one pattern that I saw among these companies was they were dominated by the "you're there to work not to socialize" type. They make sure everybody's life was miserable. In fact, you can tell the disdain in their posts of people who actually want to enjoy their jobs instead of falling in line being typical office drones.
Trust me, I've worked for companies that treated the workers like a burden. The one pattern that I saw among these companies was they were dominated by the "you're there to work not to socialize" type. They make sure everybody's life was miserable. In fact, you can tell the disdain in their posts of people who actually want to enjoy their jobs instead of falling in line being typical office drones.
Why do you seem to think there are only two options: "be a drone" or "socialize"? There is a lot of grey area between those extremes. The fact is, the workplace is where you earn money to support your lifestyle. It's not a substitute for friends and family and shouldn't be treated as such. My friends and family generally don't have the power to decide whether I'm going to be able to draw and income tomorrow. It is simply dangerous to blur these lines, but if you're okay with that, it's your choice. Other people shouldn't be shamed for wanting to draw clear boundaries. I'd argue that's the healthy approach.
It’s no surprise to see why turnover is so high in most places or worker disengagement is at an all time high. It begins and ends with horrid management. Generally those in management used to work their way from the ground up to management so they picked up the ins and outs of all operations. So they knew what worked and what didn’t work. They were promoted based on merit. Nowadays, most management is selected from the outside and thrown into positions of high responsibilities despite not understanding the even most basics of the operation. Hell I have remote manager at the moment who I have met 4-5 times and he thinks i work in a total different geographical area of the company then I currently do
I mean if they can’t even keep their crap together on the most basic level (where their damn employees work) how can they manage anything else? That’s not to mention all the veterans of years experience were forced out the door into early retirement and all that knowledge gone that they will never get back. No surprise this company can’t keep anyone and turnover is at an all time high and they have lost business. Whoda thunk
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Happy Workers (Not)
There is a lot of grey area between those extremes. The fact is, the workplace is where you earn money to support your lifestyle. It's not a substitute for friends and family and shouldn't be treated as such. My friends and family generally don't have the power to decide whether I'm going to be able to draw and income tomorrow. It is simply dangerous to blur these lines, but if you're okay with that, it's your choice. Other people shouldn't be shamed for wanting to draw clear boundaries. I'd argue that's the healthy approach.
