Perspective PM

Swearing in the workplace

Via Network World:

“Employees use swearing on a continuous basis, but not necessarily in a negative, abusive manner. Swearing was as a social phenomenon to reflect solidarity and enhance group cohesiveness, or as a psychological phenomenon to release stress, ” the study stated.  “Most of the cases were reported by employees at the lower levels of the organizational hierarchies and it was clear that executives use swearing language less frequently. "

More here.

In my own house, among my own friends, I have a mouth like a sailor.  I don't think swearing by itself has anything to do with stress relief. I think that supressing parts of your personality in mixed company is stressful, and that the relief of that stress comes when you have a casual/friendly enough relationship with co-workers that you can be yourself. Executives use swearing language less frequently because they have less casual/friendly relationships with most staff. It's more important for them to maintain a professional demaenor, lest they lose respect as an authority figure.

Try replacing the every instance of the word "swearing" in this article, perhaps even in the study itself, with terms like "dressing down," "coming out," "cracking jokes" or anything else you normally curb in mixed company & it's probably just as true.

10 Reasons You're Not the Manager

Many of the things you can’t stand about your manager are the very skills it takes to be one.

Have you ever heard yourself saying, "This guy is an IDIOT! How could he be my boss when he doesn't even have half the skill I do? I could do his job better; why aren't I running this department?" Here's why.

1. You don’t play politics
Why does one employee get the same compliment for a mediocre job as another employee for an outstanding one? Maybe the boss knows that this mediocre employee needs to feel appreciated, or not only will his mediocre performance become terrible, he'll also be a general pain and make life unpleasant for other outstanding employees. Seemingly inexplicable management decisions sometimes have reasons you just can't see from your vantage point. When management's priorities don't align with yours, it's dismissed and disdained as "office politics."

2. You refuse to make sacrifices
Juggling the needs and priorities of your staff and the business means making sacrifices. Sometimes one option jumps out at you as being the best one, but sometimes there is no clear best option, and you're stuck shooting down a great idea for one that's only marginally better/cheaper/easier. If you've ever been accused of procrastination, you likely have difficulty making decisions that aren't clear-cut.

3. You pay great attention to detail
Attention to detail is a great attribute if you're a designer, programmer, instructor, analyst, etc. But as someone charged with the overall success of an operation or project, you'll need to keep your head out of the details and keep an eye on the big picture. It's near impossible to do both effectively at the same time.

4. You hate paperwork
Managers spend anywhere from 30 to 85 percent of their day with various forms of paperwork. Status reports, budget reports, project plans, performance reviews... the list is endless. Sounds exciting, no?

5. You refuse to take heat for others' mistakes
If you think it's unfair that your boss occasionally gets credit for your accomplishments, consider that they will just as often be blamed for your mistakes. Be prepared to take responsibility not only for your own screw ups, but for all the screw ups of everyone you supervise.