Feeling Useless

Corporations were all about empowerment a decade ago, they kinda embraced (grudingly I am sure) Demings ideas that the Japanese adopted and appeared to be successful in doing.

The original corporate idea is that workers will be lazy at every opportunity, and that FEAR must be used to motivate them - fear of losing job, fear of no raise, fear of no promotion.

Deming on the other hand believed that workers did want to work, and that empowering them to make decisions on the ground level gave them motivation to do a good job. Which is true.

But, management loves power, they are drunk with it, just like the politicians. They hold all the cards, and really don't contribute at all, they simply regurgitate all the ideas of the lower people, and make them their own, then the manager above them does the same thing. Think scene from Office space when 5 different managers come by to remind him to put a cover sheet on the TPS reports.

I could swear that there is a new secret corporate buzz seminar going around where they instruct managers to never say 'thanks', or 'good job'; becuase that would mean you would stop working and the effect of FEAR would be diminished. Then about the raises and promotions, its at an all time high for unfairness, its all about popularity, not performance. They reward people for sucking up more than ever these days, some people are making big career advances, and they are practically incompetent, except in the area of kissing a.... They are experts in that arena.

Okay, now for the solution. You need that money, just keep going, and doing; make the work your reason for being there, try and find some allies who feel the same way you do, befriend the heck out of those people, and support one another. Faith in corporations and management is dead, but you must go on, or get left behind.

Finally, play their game, be nice, enthusiastic, available, but keep your real commitments to your co-workers (the good ones) and your work. Just do the job and get the heck out of there. IMO, the current state of corporations is in crisis, they are using the bad economy as a weapon of FEAR, 'be glad you have a job' etc. They are loving it, more work for less money, but they have pockets full of cash.

I bet there are lots of americans who would leave their corporate jobs in a heartbeat if they had other opportunities, but we don't. Going it on your own would just likely result in more suffering. But, my hope is that small businesses start to run the big corporations out of business, led by proprietors such as us, who still care about people and treat them fairly.

Yes, we will work harder for less money if that is what the economy requires, but the way we are treated is at the core of our unhappiness. I just don't think the managers care, and the companies don't care, they are only interested in their own dollars. And, any threat to their slice will be squashed. So, do not speak up, just smile and play the game, or you will be punished.

ecuison said:

For the past month, I've been feeling pretty useless at work. When I first started here, I took over 2 people's positions. I built up the department's IT infrastructure, brought in a lot of new technologies, services, etc... I prayed and still thank God for everything that I have done and what I am capable of doing. But since through politics, nepotism, whatever the case, I am working with 2 guys who everyone knows has deficiencies in their work let alone this field and after some complaining and whining and everything they did to management that I was doing more then them, taking on all the complex projects, etc...I have been stripped of a lot of rights and permissions and now, I just don't care.

I applied and interview about a month ago for another position in my company and still haven't heard anything yet. I pray that I get it because it will be a fresh start, but frankly, I am not putting all my hope in it because I know, no matter what, God has something better for me. But where I am right now, I have no motivation, no drive, no ambition to do anything else for this department because of everything that has happened.

The department again after the 5th time in 4 years, has gone through a management shift and I already feel that these guys are going to do the same thing again. My management has did what they could to mitigate the issue. All I am trying to do is do my job and I feel bad that I am not trying because what I did do, and what I was able to do, I can't do now because of these 2 people.

It took meetings and one-on-ones, and talking to upper management to have them realize that I wasn't the problem. It's sad that I was even questioned in the first place after 2.5 - 3.0 years of no complaints and doing everything for this department I supported.

Now, I really don't want to do anything, even simple tasks. I am not even treated like anything and now, I hate to feel that I am here doing nothing except learning what I want to do and pushing menial work to other people.

Click to expand...

I know that it sucks, but keep working hard. Keep up the strong work ethic because if you don't, you'll only end up hurting yourself. Even if no one seems to notice you slipping on your work and not giving it as much as you can, I will tell you what someone else told me.. pretend that God is your boss. Because He is. Letting your work ethic slip because you are unsatisfied or because you feel that certain things are unjust does not excuse you and your career going down the tubes. Keep persevering and if you must, keep applying for other positions as you feel compelled to. But, don't lose hope and allow other people to have much more sway in your career than they should because when it all goes down the crapper, you are only left with yourself - and as much as you might feel that you have some camaraderie with others, we each have our own careers and livelihoods to focus on. That is one of the reasons why it is important for you to persevere and keep working hard. Good luck.

ecuison said:

For the past month, I've been feeling pretty useless at work. When I first started here, I took over 2 people's positions. I built up the department's IT infrastructure, brought in a lot of new technologies, services, etc... I prayed and still thank God for everything that I have done and what I am capable of doing. But since through politics, nepotism, whatever the case, I am working with 2 guys who everyone knows has deficiencies in their work let alone this field and after some complaining and whining and everything they did to management that I was doing more then them, taking on all the complex projects, etc...I have been stripped of a lot of rights and permissions and now, I just don't care.

I applied and interview about a month ago for another position in my company and still haven't heard anything yet. I pray that I get it because it will be a fresh start, but frankly, I am not putting all my hope in it because I know, no matter what, God has something better for me. But where I am right now, I have no motivation, no drive, no ambition to do anything else for this department because of everything that has happened.

The department again after the 5th time in 4 years, has gone through a management shift and I already feel that these guys are going to do the same thing again. My management has did what they could to mitigate the issue. All I am trying to do is do my job and I feel bad that I am not trying because what I did do, and what I was able to do, I can't do now because of these 2 people.

It took meetings and one-on-ones, and talking to upper management to have them realize that I wasn't the problem. It's sad that I was even questioned in the first place after 2.5 - 3.0 years of no complaints and doing everything for this department I supported.

Now, I really don't want to do anything, even simple tasks. I am not even treated like anything and now, I hate to feel that I am here doing nothing except learning what I want to do and pushing menial work to other people.

Click to expand...

Who are you really here to serve? Who do you really serve?

I don't want this to sound like a "suck it up" response but "Suck it up"...

You have a job be thankful. some do not even have a job to feel useless at...

now that, that is out of the way...

Brother it is hard in this world to please men. This world wants us to act a certain way and to be happy about it. It is not easy to be happy when you feel beaten down. It is not easy to smile when you feel dead.

I don't want this to sound like a cliche response but, "This life will give you trials"... It is not gonna be easy. it is nto gonna be nice. It will rough it will be hard and sometimes it really bothers me when people get all surprised when it is...

That all being said... It will get better. it will not always be this way. it might in your short existance on this world, but compared to what lies in wait it is a glimer of despair in a vast well of Joy. That Joy is christ. He came to set us free and as his children we are free and belong to him.

I have a small suggestion for what you do at work. Don't be happy, dont smile dont do your work. stop working and start serveing. Serve your boss. isntead of jsut clocking in and doing your work, clock in and make your boss's life easier, No matter if you are apprecitated or not. How can you make your cowroker's job easier, find out and do it. Serve the people around and you will most defintly get a differnt response. It will go from useless to People trust you with the hardest of things.

The reason i say this, is because Christ came and served us. He made our lives better, so be like him. Serve those around you, if nothing else God sees you and he does not think your useless or worthless, infact quite the opposite, you are the most precious posietion that he has and he paid a dear price for you.

Lastly Stand resolute and set your face as flint agaisnt this idea that your useless, cause your not. remember to try and serve and ask god daily to give you the strength to serve, you might be surpised to see what happens!

I wanted to update on the amazing things that have been happening to me at work recently. I have been angry for almost 2yrs at work due to frustration with not being recognized for my efforts.

Well, recently I got a bad review, and I was stunned, I couldn't believe that my work was not recognized. You see I was rebelling against management and attempting to work under the radar, believing that my work alone would be enough. It wasn't. So my anger bubble burst, I could no longer sustain this anger, it threatened to destroy me, so I submitted to the Lord like I haven't in decades.

Well, God has taken care of me recently, I have been being 'nice', and a team builder, and then all of a sudden, 2 weeks in a row, major issues at work have risen, and I stepped up and instead of 'glory hounding', I submitted and worked with all members, and we solved the issues as a team, and my ideas were finally recognized, and it is totally awesome.

My main prayer now is to stay humble, things are going well, 2yrs of suffering have been reversed in 2 weeks. It is so incredible, I have a hard time even believing it is real, God disciplined me, and I submitted, and then he provided me these recent opportunities to be an important part of the team. I really cannot express the joy I am feeling. God has restored my Faith in a way that is so powerful, I am kinda on fire, you might say. But, I know not to base my faith too much on reward, I must hold fast even if things don't always go my way.

Anyway, I still have some deep anger issues over corporate america, and I am working on that. But, I am no longer blaming my immediate management team for my previous anger, but rather am working with them and they are working with me. I am very blessed to see that sunrise each morning as I commute into work, I believe that after 2 decades I am finally back on track with God, and it feels great. I knew God always had a purpose for me, and I am seeing it now, I am pushing the team concept to all, and preaching submitting to one another as the key to success, instead of competing with one another. I take no glory on this one, I give it all to God, and I am extremely thankful.