The “make do” attitude in the corporate world
I befuddled a boss, once.
He wanted to know why we, the team, hadn’t brought to his attention the fact that we were sharing single versions of software, that we had ridiculous, time-consuming computer problems and other technical roadblocks standing in the way of getting work done.
It was simple, really. We were making do. Through years of corporate conditioning, putting up with ancient computers, outdated software, pirated software (necessary to get the job done, but nothing the company would ever pay for), we’d found workarounds, friends who would share upgrades and programs we lacked, and cheap copies we could get on e-Bay or from other sources.
Everyone in corporate America has had to “make do” with second-rate equipment, hand-me-down laptops (complete with viruses!) and other office necessities that only work if you do this, that and the other thing but only in that order.
He was “shocked” that we, as a team believed that he wouldn’t buck up for additional software versions to make us “legal,” that he wouldn’t invest in the hardware we said we needed to do the job right.
And then, of course, he didn’t.
Forcing employees to make do on a shoestring is encouraging them to engage in behavior corporations would never publicly endorse. Expecting the work to be done, at the level of quality the company or client demands, without providing the tools necessary is ludicrous. Creativity abounds in those of us who are marketers, designers or writers. We will find a way to make it possible for the work to get done. Provide us with the tools and you’ll get it better, faster, cheaper (in the long run) and with a clear conscience.
It amazes me to think of the time lost due to reboots, workarounds, fakes, fixes, searches, etc. just because the companies for which I worked could not see the big picture, the longer term results of investing not only in equipment, but in people, valuing their time as much as they valued their own.
If you’re enduring the “make do” syndrome, speak up. If they don’t like it, start looking. There are places out there that believe in getting work done the right way. Find one. I did.
June 21st, 2006 at 8:40 am
Most of my jobs have been with the dept of defense… and it WAS the same story when I first started. Then the Navy adopted the NMCI (Navy Marine Corps Intranet) and we were no longer allowed to install Any software. Imagine that. Luckily, the engineers in my team managed to hang on to our very-out-of-date “legacy” PCs and use them for the work we actually needed to do.
June 21st, 2006 at 12:05 pm
By chance do I know the “him” in this story?
D-
June 21st, 2006 at 12:08 pm
No . . . well, you might, but the specific person I was thinking of probably isn’t the same one you are . . . however, the “him” does represent a legion of bosses and more than one that I’ve had.