Techn@gerial

Morale is the de facto measure of corporate contentment it would seem, often featuring in weekly meetings as an agenda item and cited in “Company of The Year” awards as a key indicator.  But what is morale and is there anything you can do to keep it high and buoyant?

I have an  unusually “glass half empty” theory about morale and that is that it is an indicator in a process which is actually pretty much the same for all people.  That is a gradual decline from the heady first few days in a new job to the gut wrenching day someone decides to move on to a new role.

Continue reading »

Tweet This Post 

In my previous article about Software Project Entropy I discussed various employee types often found in software companies.  Due to the inherent technical and often very complex environment, it is not uncommon to find employees that become highly specialized.  In my article I indicated that The Specialist is a role holder that revels in his craft, enjoys the limitation and highly pointed focus he has and thus the power that he holds.  Often these people will hold on to their knowledge, as after all “knowledge is power”.

When an employee is not so bothered with retaining her current position and status, is more self stretching and expansive, she can rapidly turn into The Prisoner.  This is an individual who is not allowed to diversify, is kept in a role for his specialist skills and is considered too expensive or risky to replace.  She may posses unique knowledge and know-how, she may be core to the business and ignored or overburdened with responsibility.  She will be unhappy, searching for new projects and generally frustrated.  All of these things will be because she cannot be released from her current responsibilities.

Continue reading »

Tweet This Post