Hierarchy in the work place

Mc Kenzie

Hi There,

I was wandering if in now our world of equality and diversity, does any one still experience a hierarchy in work.

I work for a charitable organization and its funny as it is a nice place to work in but even so, with all there policy's to equality and fairness i can see how some departments view themself better than others i can even see my supervisor totally loose all concentration when speaking to my colleague when he sees someone from another department that go by and attempt to get his attention by making a comment or wishing them a good weekend ect. And im aware that networking is good,however this is something different i see.

i was sad when a old friend and colleague of mine was taken a side after a meeting with another department and there head, my supervisor said to her after that she basicly asked a stupid question and especially infront of the head of department. I think she had asked something they had covered already, but what harm was that. And actually now I recall, my supervisor answered her in the meeting that pointing out that they had covered it and he really made this apparent which made it a little embarrassing for her.

she came and explained this to me after and I had to tell her no question id a stupid question and its important she was making herself clear.

IMO, i felt that my supervisor was ashamed of us, perhaps bringing him down in his attempt to impress or befriend his way in with a better department.

I felt this was really unloyal. Variose things like this happend and caused a bulk of my team to leave which was sad.

There are the ones that I have found and gotten to know who the good ones are and are really nice, and then people who stick there noses in the air going by you or tutt when your taking too long washing a dish at the sink in the canteen

I just feel thats interesting as a society the way we are, charitable organization or not its still there

bee06

I assume there are examples of this that you haven't given but based on the examples you have given I fail to see the big issue? Your friend asked a question about something that was already covered so they basically look like they weren't paying attention in the meeting which doesn't really reflect well on your friend or their manager to be honest.

Mc Kenzie

But what about when your processing info or your thinking of something youd like to ask it can happen sometimes that something goes over your head.No ones a robot. and IMO its better to make sure i am exactly clear on whats been discussed. So i feel that she was right to ask about that IMO.

bee06

It depends on how the question was asked. If she said, can I just clarify something we discussed earlier then that should be fine. If she asked a question on something that was adequately covered then it's obvious she wasn't paying attention.

Mrs OBumble

OP, I'm a bit puzzled that you think diversity and equality of opportunity means no hierarchy.

Valuing everyone's contribution is not the same as valuing everyone's contribution equally. The CEO is always going to be more important than the graduate who got hired last month.

And even dignity in the workplace does not extend to saying the stupidity is accepted.

Mc Kenzie

Hiya


No i don't think that.

And that's abit harsh saying that it was stupidity. My colleague had a task to do after tihis meeting and she wanted to make sure she understood everything clearly. Just because they happened to miss something said does not make her stupid. And its the way my supervisor handled it within the meeting he emphasized it quite alot and i think at that was unfair. I understand the opinion of the CEO would be more important or valued however it was not the ceo in the meeting.

| just dont think it was nessessary to embarrass her in the meeting and then pull her aside after and it was not something so significant. She missed what he said, big deal.

Any way thats only one element there was also a time when my team worked hard on a project and weeks later there was a get together of thanks for that project, and my team were invited and in the list of thanks we were not included at all. Which left myself and my colleagues quite unapreciated.

Things like this and not being included in entire staff meetings of course i understand that now everyone can go all the time, but our department basically never went to on.

And also one quite importnat [art that a year and a half went by with no PDR done as it was meant to be done and our supervisor just told us to save it an do another time. I felt that of that had been done or may have reconciled or concluded any situations that were difficult or not working between colleagues and managers, which clearly we all new there were,. At the time it seemed that from the managers point this was not important for us and to carry on with our work. Eventually problems got worse and lead to problems emphasizing and us being fustrated and managers not understanding. And there was no outlet.

Over all these things made me feel that department was not valued as it should of been as at one point together we were reaching targets and making money for the organization. IMO the PDR these parts in any group/team are important to work hand in hand and succesfully. As a result my colleagues as i were fustrated and burnt out.And nearly all left around the same time one by one to even the manager. I still work there one of 3 originals.

Yet it does not feel the same and i miss the old team. But I still work hard but im really feeling my time has finished a long time ago, im currently looking to leave and for a new position. IIt seems like so much drama happened and we are now treated as if nothing happened and all is well. Its a little odd.

Im aware work environments change and people leave but the way it happend and basically all the team left beacuse of all this.

thegreatgonzo

I hope you aren't offended by what I'm going to say. I find it hard to understand your posts as there are a number of mistakes in them. I don't know the nature of your role but does it depend on a lot of written communication? Because if so it may be partly the reason you feel a bit sidelined as your managers are just letting you get on with the grunt work.
As you said yourself work environments change and people move on and perhaps it is your time to move on too. However from an outsider's perspective it does seem from your posts that you are a bit too invested in minor enough incidents involving your friends at work.

hmmm

People are humans and have all the usual human frailties. You can have all the policies on "equality" and "bullying" in the world, but there will still be bad managers, there will still be people who like you or don't like you, and there will still be informal hierarchies within a business. That's the way it is and always will be.