Decrapify work or Die
Thoughts about Decrapify Work
Much to my surprise, almost everyone seems to know what ‘decrapify work’ means, even though half of it is a word I made up.
At least, they know what it means to them. They probably can’t explain it, but they ‘get it’, and they want to see it happen.
Which is great, I get lots of positive feedback.
And it is also great because I don’t know what it means either. I am still finding out.
That’s the point of this newsletter. You see, this is a process of discovery, as I dig up bits of information, have ideas and thoughts, chew them over with others and start again.
I thought that rather than wait until I get it all figured out (which will probably be never…), I’d share my wanderings, ramblings and ruminations and let you get involved in the process.
It’s through conversations that we are going to figure out what ‘decrapify work’ means and what we can do to help people, well, decrapify work.
Because the one thing I am sure of is that everyone can take action, to improve their own and others’ experiences, and it’s only through those actions that change will come about. If we leave it to the ‘people in charge’, it’s never going to happen.
Every week I am going to write about something I’ve come across, or a thought I’ve had, or an idea I’ve been working on. Or maybe all three. I’ll try and keep it short, interesting and fun. Well, the first two at least, otherwise I’ll have to resort to Dad jokes.
I never forget the pain
My inspiration for Decrapify Work is my own experience. Half my career was wonderful and the other half was crap, and I know which I preferred. I also know which got the best out of me.
I wrote a post on LinkedIN the other day about a colleague who came back from holiday and immediately felt the physical symptoms of stress. I was his boss but I could do nothing about it except empathise (when I say ‘except’, I don’t mean to underplay it. Empathy is a bloody good place to start from). The only way I could show him some compassion was to take him out for a beer at lunchtime and have a chat about it.
I still feel bad about that incident, it still cuts me up a little. And I have hundreds of memories of the pain others felt and the everyday brutality that they were subjected to.
I remember my own pain as well, of course. I remember the frustration and anger I’d feel, the misery and depression, the hundred little hurts inflicted on me daily by the organisation that gradually chipped away at my optimism and resolve.
None of it was necessary. In fact, it was all counter-productive. It made us miserable and less productive. It sucked the vibrancy out of us and corroded our souls. For absolutely no good reason.
That’s why we have to change it.
Never mind the Bollocks
There’s an awful lot of bollocks out there about, well, work. And leadership. And entrepreneurship. And technology. And change management. And organisational development. And … well, you get the picture.
There’s also an awful lot of good stuff: data that tells us about the real state of work and organisations, ideas about how work could and should be, wisdom about leading people and how to be, inspiration about bringing about positive change.
I try to spot the good stuff amongst the bollocks and share that with you in clear, digestible chunks that will make you think or that you can translate into action.
I don’t always get it right. I’ve gone all fanboy about people and ideas only to find out later they weren’t quite as good as I had thought or, in a couple of cases, they were just plain wrong. But, hey, there’s a whole industry pushing these ideas so it can be hard not to get swept along, especially when the theory seems so plausible.
So my working assumption is “This is probably bollocks” because some part of it probably is. Then I bring you the bits that get through that filter and that seem useful.
All help.
No bollocks.
Be More Pirate
This is one of my favourite business books (along with it’s sequel “How to” Be More Pirate”) and explains the lessons we can learn from the Pirates of the Golden Age, to rise up in mutiny for our freedom and to make ‘good trouble’.
It’s about a way of being, as well as strategies and tactics you can use to be a change maker. I have found it’s a powerful and engaging shorthand for a lot of the ideas about changing the world of work (as well as the world in general!). I am often writing “that’s so pirate” in the margins of things I read, even in lofty academic tomes.
And it’s fun. It’s about embracing life and enjoying the ride whilst you are changing the world. And that’s what Decrapify Work is about as well!
So expect to see a lot about pirates too.
(If you don’t know anything about ‘Be More Pirate’, here’s a synopsis of the key points,; Or you can watch this video or listen to this podcast where Sam Conniff, the author, explains it in his own inimitable way).