When Bosses Cause Disruption In The Workplace

As we approach the end of the Rule of St. Benedict, we'll consider situations where bosses can create distraction and disruption in the workplace. As with each entry we've covered since last year we'll look for ideas that help us to avoid such turmoil and to establish and maintain order, peace and stability. 

While order and peace are pretty straightforward concepts, let's re-cap what "stability" might mean in the secular workplace. Recall that it's a bit different than what it means in a monastery. There, stability is actually a vow taken by monks: They promise to live out their lives in the particular monastery where they become a monk. But for us non-monks in the secular workplace, we need to temper that definition somewhat, especially in our current world of "wandering workers."

"Wandering workers"? It's just a phrase that tries to capture the reality that many folks today keep their options open when it comes to working for a single company. And who can blame them? For one thing, being rewarded for loyalty to the company has become an echo of a time past. For another, younger workers don't take work as seriously as those of previous generations. The Boomers who worked 60+ hour weeks and who expected their employees to get in early and stay late no longer set the example. Nevertheless, some degree of stability inevitably remains more desirable than constant turnover. 

There's also a spiritual benefit to stability, when combined with order and peace in the work place. As we've noted during the course of our Stability Project, the stuff coming at us and our businesses from the world these days has ramped up in volume and intensity. So anything that minimizes turmoil and dissension within either our work environment or from within ourselves will serve us well - especially if we want to keep keep our hearts, minds, and souls focused on working for the greater glory of God.

With that background, today we look at an entry that addresses turmoil and dissension that can percolate when there's disorder in the upper ranks of a company. The ranks of the top bananas at any company tend to be a bit less unstable than the workers might be. Makes some sense since these guys typically are compensated generously. Also, the top top banana usually brings them in and looks out for them. It's like a little private club. So there's a good reason to stay put to reap what have become in some cases extraordinary benefits, compared not only to regular workers, but even to top guys in the past. 

But in cases where big bosses disagree and actually fight amongst themselves, you can get a layer of unwanted distraction to those who work for them. 

In the Rule, St. Benedict warns of the turmoil that can arise when the abbot and prior, the two top bananas oppose each other to the detriment of the peace and stability of the monastery. And, apparently, its wasn't a rare occurrence:

"It frequently happens that the appointment of a prior gives rise to serious scandals in monasteries."

He zeroes in on the prior as the main culprit:

"For there are men puffed up by an evil spirit of pride who regard themselves as equal to the abbot, and arrogating to themselves tyrannical power foster troubles and dissensions in the community."

What almost guarantees this sort of conflict?

"This happens especially in those places where the prior is appointed by the same bishop and the same abbots as the abbot himself." 

You may have had experience with top bananas going at each other. I have in two instances, one different than the other.

In the first, at a small company, the head of Sales and the General Manager had a falling out. The GM had brought in the sales guy, someone he'd known in the industry for years, and, it would seem respected.  But there was lots of pressure for better results from the Partners who owned the business. A lot was at stake, since the goal of our sales team was to build up customers so that the Partners could cash out for a pretty boodle. The GM had a stake in this.

As a mere sales guy, I was out of the line of fire, but could observe what was going on. It got ugly. And initial private chiding turned into public berating by the GM. The Sales Manager was unceremoniously sacked. While I didn't take sides (no reason to), I liked the Sales Manager. The GM really was...well, I'll skip what I was going to say. I suppose in his mind it was "nothing personal, strictly business."

It was quite distracting and unpleasant during the war of the top bananas; but the company survived and a new guy became sales boss. Eventually the company was sold to the delight of the Partners. (And, by the way, when it was, I had to find another job.)

The second instance was even more dramatic, and occurred at a big (rather well known) company. We'll get to that next time. 

We'll finish with St. Benedict's assessment of the situation where the abbot and prior are appointed by the same people: 

"But it s very clear that this is a foolish procedure. For it gives the prior matter for pride from the very beginning of his appointment, since his thoughts will suggest to him that he is not subject to the abbot."

You may have already surmised this. And it does explain why top bananas like to hire their own team I think.

More next time...