The Fun in Workplace Dysfunction

A friend passed along this column by Albert J. Bernstein PhD, author "Am I the Only Sane One Working Here? 101 Solutions for Surviving Office Insanity."

His list -- 15 Signs Your Workplace is Dysfunctional is so spot-on that many people will think he's been hiding in their office, taking notes.

That certainly seems to be the conclusion of the readers who chose to comment on the page.

Notice how the comments come from people in a variety of work environments and industries. Which may indicate we have more company in our misery than we realize.

I've listed a few of my favorite signs from Berstein's list:

Sign No. 1: Conspicuously posted vision or value statements are filled with vague but important-sounding words like "excellence" and "quality"

These words are seldom defined and the concepts they allude to are never measured

Sign No. 4: Double messages are delivered with a straight face

Quality and quantity are both job one. You can do it both cheaper and better, just don't ask how. If you're motivated enough you should know already.

Sign No. 13: You are expected to feel lucky to have a job and know you could lose it if you don't toe the line

Dysfunctional companies maintain control using the threat of punishment. Most will maintain that they also use positive rewards ... like your paycheck. A few people are actually fired, but most of those who go are driven to quit.

Sign No. 14: Rules are enforced based on who you are rather than what you do

In a dysfunctional company, there are clearly insiders and outsiders and everyone knows who belongs in each group. Accountability has different meanings depending on which group you're in.

My point in highlighting Bernstein's column is not to make people feel hopeless, but to recognize bad habits, patterns that can be changed. Change that can lead to a more functional, productive workplace.

There's more to fun than dysfunction.