My manager is a great person and has always been on my side--but she doesn't HAVE to be--the power relationship exists and I could just as easily have a manager who makes my life hell. The fact that most of my co-workers aren't scared shitless by the fact that they have no real power in the workplace greatly confuses me. It's like having a gun to your head and saying "Well, it's been there for a long time and they haven't pulled the trigger yet." Same goes for all the employee "input" the management asks for. The managers are always asking for what we think, then nodding and saying "uh-huh," writing it down, and then doing dick about it. In the process, steam gets let off just because someone is listening. I am continually befuddled by the fact that none of my co-workers seem to resent the agency power structure as much as I do (or maybe we just don't talk to each other enough).
The single most memorable instance of this was on the occasion of a "management retreat." It was a fucking great day. All the bosses were gone. And, what do you know, the agency functioned just fine. So remind me, why the hell do we need these people in charge of us, the folks who run the agency? I mean, if the case workers didn't show up, the agency wouldn't move. Same for the support staff, HIV workers, employment educators, etc. Fact it, if the staff ran things for themselves, the agency would run smoother because the workers are the ones who know how things function.
My highest disdain, however, is reserved for the Board of Directors. This is the body that , in the final analysis, holds all the cards. All agency policies must be approved by them, and any grievances ultimately come before them. Now, this Board includes a bank executive, two lawyers, a psychologist, a doctor, an accountant and an insurance executive. It includes only one social worker. What do these people know about the day-to-day functioning of the agency?...
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