Let's de-crapify work
Photo by 贝莉儿 DANIST on Unsplash

Let's de-crapify work

For too many people, work is crap.

That’s why the levels of employee engagement are pitifully low, why the majority of employees would change job tomorrow if a better opportunity arose and why the workplace is awash with apathy. 

Too many work environments are toxic and harming the people in them, which is why

- stress, anxiety and depression are at record levels and rising

- people are dying from work-induced stress-related illnesses

- burnout is commonplace (and now a recognised illness)

- suicide levels are increasing (especially amongst men)

Human potential is being wasted on an epic scale as creative beings are made into mere cogs in the machine.

People feel trapped, resigned, powerless and there is an epidemic of learned helplessness.

But people are not powerless. They lack the vision and awareness of what is possible so that they can imagine a better work environment. They lack the tools, knowledge and contact to bring it about. They should expect more from work, they should start to demand more. They need to ‘find the others’, form their pirate crews and start a mutiny.

Break the rules about work and put better ones in their place.

Work has deteriorated over the past 30 years for a variety of reasons, a process I call “the crapification of work”, leading to the the toxic and failing systems we see today. It has been justified on the grounds of efficiency and profitability but it is counter-productive and failing on it’s own terms. It is unfit for purpose, killing the creativity, innovation and collaboration that organisations and the world needs to address the challenges and opportunities we face.

Work should be 

  • meaningful
  • purposeful
  • social
  • safe
  • rewarding
  • nurturing
  • human
  • life-enhancing 

Now is the time to start de-crapfiying work, to put people and purpose at it’s centre.

This is a win-win-win. Better for the people in workplaces, better for the organisations they are in and better for society and the planet.

Let’s decrapify work.

#decrapifywork

Join the conversation

If your work is a bit crap, I want to hear your views and experiences. You can either answer these two questions below or just tell me what's on your mind.

1) What is it about your job that makes it crap?

2) What would you change to make it better?

Pop your answers in the comments below or contact me directly by PM or at [email protected] (private messages will be treated with complete confidentiality).

Anne-Marie May

Portrait photographer at Welcome Aboard Photography Studio

3 年

Colin thank you for calling a spade a spade!! I remember putting in those very long corporate hours as a young twenty something looking to move forward through the ranks....it wasn't until a year 12 good months with a backpack, of living (somewhat) dangerously in the South Pacific..and completing a dream of earning my PADI certification as a scuba diver, was I prepared to come back home (Toronto) and unpack my next dream. 33 years later and I am just as stoked to work for YOU..the Client in front of me, to be the best Portrait Photographer. Until my last dying breath, I will pivot and tack whichever way needed, to continue to capture your best image with my God purposed craft!! Looking forward to a Colin group Zoom Call from you!! 11:00 am EST here in Canada seems to work well with you in the UK. Be awesome Colin!!

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Paula Turk

?????????????? & ?????????????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ???????????? Finance Manager | Systems Accountant | Business Analyst | Cost Controller | Data Expert roles where I improve profitability in 1-6 months.

5 年

Very well put Colin. The other sad factor is not only the fact that employees don't like what they do - it's that they do it for so much longer than they are contracted to do it for - the 8 hour day - no, lets suffer for 10, 12, 14, or more!!! hours per day. And all these hours???? Just in case of what??? - people don't see your commitment.

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