Advice Line | Bob Lewis | InfoWorld | How to engineer a tumbler | December 5, 2007 05:23 AM

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How to engineer a tumbler

December 05, 2007 | Comments: (0)

How to engineer a tumbler

Dear Bob ...

I think it is great to point out management challenges and recommend ways to improve.

Lately, many of my co-workers are going beyond this, taking opportunities to improve as indictments against the management of the company I work for.

Although it would be great if management "got it" with so many issues, they are doing enough things right to keep the joint running, they are watching the finances, and focusing on core business.

I was allowing myself to get sucked into the doom, dismay, and agony thing until my wife sat me down for a talk, which included that she was getting tired of seeing my mopey look, droopy eyes, and constant bitterness. She reviewed for me the good things this job does provide, the cool things we are working on, and if nothing else – that it is doing a good job of paying the bills. I have to say, that talk has made a huge difference in my outlook and attitude.

While others may argue that the glass is half empty or half full, at least I have a glass to be thankful for.

- Grateful

Dear Grateful ...

And as I presume you know, engineers argue that the glass is twice as big as it should be. Meanwhile, college students ask, "Who drank half my beer?"

You (really, your wife) made a great point. As my own wife has pointed out to me more than once, the more you learn about any company the less likely you'd be to either want to work there or to invest in it.

Every company has flaws. It's important to try to address them. It makes no sense to think of them as the whole picture as you do. The difference between "This place stinks and we need to fix it," and "We can make this place even better," is immense. Most of the time it's mostly a matter of attitude.

Any company that's successful must be doing many things right or it wouldn't be making money. Among the many reasons to keep track of them, there's an entirely pragmatic one that might even outweigh the impact on attitude: If you don't see what's right, you're likely to break it in the effort of fixing what's wrong.

- Bob

Posted by Bob Lewis on December 5, 2007 05:23 AM

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COMMENTS

I don't care if it's half full or half empty; what's in the glass?

Posted by: Tom Greenhaw at December 6, 2007 08:42 AM

This is strange, but true. My wife has been strongly and relentlessly doing exactly the opposite - she's been pushing me to leave my current job because the company sucks and has been getting worse on a daily basis for the last ten to fifteen years.

I respond by pointing out options and the positives of working there to my beloved - that drives her crazy.

I love my job, my coworkers and my manager, but after that everything drops off the cliff. Simply, the company had once been a top-rated place to work, but has since slid into being a third-rate employer, and is trending into becoming a sweatshop.

Some argue whether the glass is half full or half empty. At this company, the executives drank the contents, then stole the glass, then blame the employees for the lack of more glasses.

There are two things I can do about the situation - one is leave for a better employer, the other is to stay and be positive by realizing that my attitude, enthusiasm and actions are independent of the company's eroding culture.

That is not to say that corporate problems should be ignored - it is to say that you focus on fixing what can be fixed and improving what can be improved. It is saying to be truthful regarding the negatives, but not to dwell on negative stuff that you can't influence, improve or fix.

Choose to be a winner and overcomer, not a whiner and a loser.

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