Talking about people behind their back instead of communicating.

ownerof1000oddsocks

An issue came up recently at work where one of the team was cheating and not doing a proper job. We hire a lot of volunteers and the question came up about the reliability of these workers. Now the management doesn't trust the paid workers and in effect try all sorts of ridiculous strategies to get proper returns, which get grumbled about frequently. The volunteers who aren't doing their job properly reflect badly on the paid employees but instead of developing a good working relationship generally get warnings and also get talked about in negative ways. If it wasn't for certain employees who remain loyal to both the organization and the middle people no one would be any wiser for it.

But then even the loyal workers are mistrusted and I can't help but wonder exactly how much back talk goes on without any communication at all. One issue is the people we rely on, who my co-worker relies on for his livelihood, are generally talked about badly. To do this job well, in order for things to go well, public relations must be improved but there's such a terrible absence of care there.

When/if I try to raise some of these important issues I get the general impression that when I try to be honest and open about the situation it is met with anger or indifference, so all that's going to continue to happen is him grumbling about everyone elses stupidity or dishonesty where we ourselves are far from perfect.

It isn't just in this situation, that was just an example, but it seems a lot of people just don't communicate properly. I can't have a proper conversation sometimes without complete dismissal or someone getting personal, feeling 'hard done by'. Our organization depends so much on good communication and loyalty, not finger pointing and hostility.

What's an honest person to do in this world?

SherabDorje

IMO your intentions are good. If you can't change it, maybe just remain silent and try to ignore it?

Whoknows

@ownerof1000oddsocks I have complete and utter sympathy with your interaction with our corporate world. Six months ago I would have raved on about it, now I'm somewhat more pragmatic. As you no doubt realise, you have to draw the line as to where you decide to speak out and where not to. Now I'm a contractor and don't directly work for anyone, that's not so bad, yet it has downsides, like everything else. I still believe that there are some major fundamental problems with the corporate world as a whole and when the whim takes me I try to bring an aspiration for change into my meditation with the belief that it will make some positive difference however insignificant. One thing that helped me was being able to have compassion to my coworkers and bosses, irrespective to how they treated me or my friends. That compassion tends to help smooth things down in some inexplicable way. Also when the opportunity presents itself, attach yourself to individuals that you consider ethically strong. This can help in the long term. Most importantly, the more stresful and paranoid work is, the more you need to meditate, both shamata and vipashana. That will help immensely!
:bowdown:

Shambhala

In order to make something weak, we must first know how to make it strong. To defeat negativity and gossip in the workplace saturate everyone in compliments and love.I recently had an extremely negative co-worker (who had been with the company for 5 years) who admitted he loved feeding off of other peoples negativity. He even went so far as to say he was hoping to hell, and i was stuck with him (literally) yelling and screaming at me for 8 hours a day. At first i was hurt when my logic and reason failed to win him over, and i decided all i could do was show him love. and the more love i gave (through compliments and kindness), the more volatile he became until finally the owner of the company walked up to him and asked him what his problem was, he turned to the owner and the things he had to say got him a one way ticket out the door, and he is no longer employed at my job. now everyone works without griping and fighting, and we communicate, even sometimes have fun! : O it was not my goal for him to be fired, but so-much-to-say that in times and places of darkness the most powerful tool we have is our love and out light!

Roger

Okay, I don't know if this applies or not but here goes: I heard a piece on the radio about Confucius the other day. An emperor came to him and asked, "How can I get honest, effective people on my staff?" C. replied, and got subsequently fired(!), "The way to get honest effective people on your staff is for you to become honest and effective." Again, just repeating this hoping it might be relevant along some axis, I'm not sure if it applies to your situation. Good luck!

[DeletedUser]

To be honest without knowing impermanent and true emptiness that all are undergoing is not an ultimate liberation and paradise for you as well. Good Luck and may your Buddha nature bless you the power of love and emptiness for a life of joys and peace :thumbsup: