Shake off the dust, or just lay back and like it?

Dear Bob …

I’ve enjoyed reading your articles about complacent organizations. I have some questions about the situation in which I currently find myself. I’m at the bottom working as an analyst programmer in a rather complacent IT work group. I’ve become very complacent now myself. I come to work a little late and leave a little early. Morale is low in our work group, in the entire IT department, and also throughout the organization because of poor leadership, budget cuts, and rumors of layoffs. At the same time we are hearing about significant budget cuts and possible layoffs, the organization is working on nine building projects (new buildings) throughout our region. My boss is in a different building and I only see her a couple times each month during ineffective staff meetings.

Anyway, I guess my question is what can I do at my level? I’m not in a position to make changes here at work. I know I could change my attitude, but that has been very difficult given the current environment.

There are very few other tech jobs available in the area I live, and I currently have no desire to move.

Also, the pay is good where I am at, which makes it even more difficult to look for other opportunities.

I’m very comfortable where I’m at, but unhappy. I also fear that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. My job is easy and the pay is good. Why can’t I just be happy collecting the paychecks? Sorry for rambling a little, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

– Tired of being complacent

Dear Tired …

Tough question. I don’t know that there’s any single answer, either, since you’ve ruled out moving to a different organization with a culture more to your liking.

The first thought that occurs to me is that just modeling the non-complacent attitudes you’d prefer would be counterproductive. Nobody will thank you, nor will anyone emulate you. All that will happen is that you’ll be on the wrong end of a lot of peer pressure, and possibly, after that, some backstabbing.

So I think you need to plan on showing leadership to your peers. It should be in small ways, especially at first. Choose your opportunities. They should be situations where you can say something like, “Y’know, Marge, we’re close to finished with this and we have some momentum going. Why don’t we keep going for another hour or so and get it done?”

Or if someone you know, and who trusts you, is taking too long on a task because they’re struggling a bit: “Would you like some help with that, Fred? My evening is open and I’d be willing to stay late to put a second pair of eyeballs on it.”

If you’re on a project team that’s missing its milestones, speak your mind (once – don’t be a nag): “I don’t know about anyone else in this meeting, but it bothers me that we aren’t making our dates on this project. It feels unprofessional and I think this is turning into a bad habit. I’m willing to work some extra hours if everyone else is, and I know I’d be a lot happier if, when we publish a date, people had confidence that it means something. Am I the only one who’s feeling this?”

Modeling the behavior is singular – it’s you, which separates you from the group and accomplishes little. Your goal is to turn it into “we.” And a word of warning: Even under the best of circumstances there’s a good chance that trying to change the very comfortable current state will make you unpopular with at least some of your colleagues.

Last thought – make sure you don’t take any credit for any of this. Maybe someone will let your boss know the impact you’re having; maybe not. The moment you try to take credit, though, all of your efforts will look like sucking up to the boss to your co-workers, and you’ll lose your ability to influence them.

Good luck. You’re trying to achieve something that’s difficult to do, even for those who have the authority.

– Bob

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