January 2013

Problems equal solutions. This seems to be the theme of the discussions ADED4F34’s week two. The class was asked to read three journal articles, and single chapter, in which all discuss potential problems in the workplace.

As a sole proprietor/entrepreneur, this is an interesting topic for me – because I am my only employee. Working in my home office I don’t encounter the latest employee gossip, or witness the inevitable power struggle between managers. On occasion I do witness my budgies fighting for millet, but that’s about all.

Technology was the theme that stuck out to me. This omnipresence of technology has permeated small and large workplaces in North America. Hand written notes, turned typed notes, turned emails, turned BBMs or Facebook messaging.  That said, Cruickshank (2008) identifies that “workloads have increased quite dramatically” and “things that would take about 5 or 10 days to get a response to (now) take an hour – or people expect it – with improved technology” (p. 53)

In my field of work, I have identified that this increase in technology is directly correlated to the increase in workplace anxiety and stress. People have become overwhelmed with the new forms of communication, and are unsure of how to manage these new platforms. The more social networks a company is engaged with, the more touch points there are with customers.

Here are some ways customers may interact with a company:

–          Facebook Page private messages, posts, and Messenger

–          Twitter replies, mentions, hashtags, Direct Messages

–          LinkedIn messages

And let’s not forget about the classic forms of communication, including emails and cell phones which now many employees “on-call” 24/7. Cruickshank (2008) states 60% of “employees did not receive overtime pay for this work” (p. 55).

Furthermore, Cruikshank (2008) states that the “average office worker or white collar worker is interrupted something like 70 times per day – with phone calls or emails or voicemail or beepers or cell phones” (p. 53) In an eight-hour shift that is almost once every 10 minutes. But it’s true, and it has become standard. Workers are expected to do more with less and there extreme pressure from management for employees to do more work in less time.

Therefore it is important to put policies in place to ensure that employees understand what is expected of them as the new “social media manager,” for example. What is the expected response time during the week/weekend? What is the policy for overtime? Should there be multiple shifts to cover day/evening monitoring?

It is important that employees know what is expected of them from their employer. In turn, this will reduce workplace stress, anxiety and will create a positive and productive environment.

… until week 3…

Jennifer Baker Consulting