Feedback: Workplace Discipline
Some of you will be fortunate enough to never have to worry about the scrutiny of your work by another party or parties, great hulking internet mogols that you are. The rest of us work in environments where there is either some form of regimented or loose set of disciplinary protocol that governs aspects of our work life.
In my case, working in a paramilitary environment there are inches and inches of policies, post orders, civil service and union contracts that combine to give a long winded accounting of duties, responsibilities and the consequences for failing to execute the former within established guidelines. There is a clear path of disciplinary action, but there is also some haze obfuscating the line between one step and the next that is apparently clear to management only, and the path seems sometimes to be followed at management’s whim. This can lead to union reps and management representatives exchanging harsh words behind closed doors and people you used to be friendly with looking the other way when you pass them in the hallway. Nevertheless, they mostly have it clearly spelled out in black and white what the do’s and don’ts are, and what the ensuing process is for the black sheep who stray over the line.
The progression of discipline in my workplace begins with informal verbal counseling and can go as far as termination and criminal charges. That is one extreme. The other is the workplace that is so informal that there is little to no discipline whatsoever. We’ve probably all worked at that place too. Sure it’s a relaxed environment, but there’s no guarantee anything’s going to get done, and they never seem to do anything about the bad apples that show up when they feel like it, don’t carry their weight and poison the workplace for everyone else.
How big a role does discipline play in your workplace? Are there jackbooted gestapo roaming the halls and monitoring closed circuit monitors, or does your boss invite you into his office to play Xbox for half the afternoon? What is the disciplinary environment at your workplace? More importantly: not which disciplinary environment you are most comfortable in, but which style of oversight makes you the most productive and professional?
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Comment by Goran Website on 2 August 2008:
Even in the world of web design it is still critical to keep track of who is up to what and to police their activities, even if it is in the form of project and time management software.
Comment by Rarst on 12 August 2008:
I have pretty much zero discipline at work. IT, overstaffed, half-hour away from main office and half-city away from rest of our buildings.
Tasks mostly wander freely to those who has sufficient skills and biggest planning are deadlines on submitting paperwork.
It has lots of pro and con but I can say for sure that it’s pretty relaxing environment to work in and work is actually getting done in our case.