Comments on: Say goodbye to saying ‘Hello’ http://cubist.cs.washington.edu/Security/2008/01/20/say-goodbye-to-saying-hello/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:50:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Maria Gudelis http://cubist.cs.washington.edu/Security/2008/01/20/say-goodbye-to-saying-hello/#comment-5506 Maria Gudelis Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:16:45 +0000 http://cubist.cs.washington.edu/Security/2008/01/20/say-goodbye-to-saying-hello/#comment-5506 Holy Big Brother is here Batman! This does sound like George Orwell's future is now! Our workplace becoming more of a 'controlled environment'. Makes me want to re-read my favorite book, Atlas Shrugged! Cheers, Maria Gudelis http://maria-gudelis.com Holy Big Brother is here Batman! This does sound like George Orwell’s future is now! Our workplace becoming more of a ‘controlled environment’.

Makes me want to re-read my favorite book, Atlas Shrugged!

Cheers, Maria Gudelis
http://maria-gudelis.com

]]> By: esoteric http://cubist.cs.washington.edu/Security/2008/01/20/say-goodbye-to-saying-hello/#comment-130 esoteric Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:02:19 +0000 http://cubist.cs.washington.edu/Security/2008/01/20/say-goodbye-to-saying-hello/#comment-130 I am shocked and irked that Microsoft is actually developing this system. Microsoft already has a reputation for hiring bright people via their competitive application process and then confining those people to narrow positions in the company where their creative talents are underutilized. This story is just more evidence that upper management at Microsoft tends to think of its employees merely as tools to be used to deliver a product, and that those tools should be sharpened and kept in good working condition for maximum efficiency. This dehumanizing perspective does little to inspire loyalty within a company, and may actually produce the opposite of the desired effect. People who are treated like machines in a punitive work environment are less likely to feel like their job matters, or be inspired to make a positive change or suggestion that benefits the company. Just look at the movie Office Space. It is far better to show your employees you care about them and put in the extra time and money to make them happy using old fashioned human to human contact. I argue that this small investment will be repaid in full when your employees thrive and maximize their own potential because they really want to—not because they fear they will be laid off if their serotonin levels drop too low. So before anyone thinks about actually investing in Microsoft's dehumanizing work efficiency system, they should ask themselves: <em>Is this good for the company?</em> I am shocked and irked that Microsoft is actually developing this system. Microsoft already has a reputation for hiring bright people via their competitive application process and then confining those people to narrow positions in the company where their creative talents are underutilized. This story is just more evidence that upper management at Microsoft tends to think of its employees merely as tools to be used to deliver a product, and that those tools should be sharpened and kept in good working condition for maximum efficiency.

This dehumanizing perspective does little to inspire loyalty within a company, and may actually produce the opposite of the desired effect. People who are treated like machines in a punitive work environment are less likely to feel like their job matters, or be inspired to make a positive change or suggestion that benefits the company. Just look at the movie Office Space. It is far better to show your employees you care about them and put in the extra time and money to make them happy using old fashioned human to human contact. I argue that this small investment will be repaid in full when your employees thrive and maximize their own potential because they really want to—not because they fear they will be laid off if their serotonin levels drop too low.

So before anyone thinks about actually investing in Microsoft’s dehumanizing work efficiency system, they should ask themselves: Is this good for the company?

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