Rising Above the “Yes Crowd”

Author: ModWork'r

31 Jul

In some organizations there maybe genuine discussion.

But where I used to work, in a very large company, meetings were held as a way of demonstrating hierarchy. This sort of sick organization is dangerous because it encourages “yes” people. And when a charismatic leader is surrounded by only those that will flatter him, the organization suffers because it loses touch with reality.

I was told that I should keep my perspectives to myself. I did that. Then, I was told not to roll my eyes. All this was a long time ago before I developed more compassion for rigidity.

But an organization that cannot seriously look at itself and forces behaviors of unnecessary compliance has a problem. - Chris

What you see here is a valuable comment left in reply to yesterday’s post of tips to stay alert and engaged during meetings at work. Unfortunately, there are workplaces in the world which do not want their employees to participate in discussions. Meetings, like Chris said, can be held simply for higher-ups to flex their six-figure-salary muscles. What can one do in these environments?

There really isn’t much that can be done when a boss wants to extract every last ounce of energy from his staff and then not take their feedback into consideration during times of deliberation on issues pertaining to the organization. I strongly suggest not letting these office politics bother you by reminding yourself that you are headed to better places. In addition, make those better places a reality by looking for and securing a new job on the career path.

I’ll also say, and I’m sure Chris agrees with me, that one should never burn bridges. As much annoyance a less-than-favorable position can facilitate, exiting in good fashion and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work will always be more beneficial than “sticking it to the man”.

I’d like to thank Chris for his comment and am looking forward to his feedback and yours, as always.

One Response for "Rising Above the “Yes Crowd”"

Christopher November 8th, 2007 at 5:59 pm 1
Well, I did take my sweet time about getting around to another comment here.

Yes, I agree, it makes a lot of sense not to go around burning bridges, and when the situation calls for it polishing your resume and looking to move is the way forward. It’s a fact of life that things change, and the job you successfully applied for, may not be the job you now have. As one person leaves a group everyone else has to readjust.

I am part of an ongoing face-to-face discussion group. A few weeks ago, one of us gave us a thoughtful perspective on group dynamics. A healthy group needs to have a measure (of respectful) dissent. Someone has to be the maverick. Someone has to be the perceived leader, although in reality this may not be the real leader. It’s too complex to go into here, but the idea is that if a group is so threatened by questions and ejects the maverick, someone else will take over that role. I thought this all very stimulating.

What happens when dissent is denied? It goes underground and causes all sorts of passive- aggression.