In the midst of a workshop, I learn that the admin team unilaterally decided that a core process was not necessary.
I glare back at them, dumbstruck. “This is an obligation,” I reply. “By not doing it, we’re most likely breaking the law.”
The decision maker just glances away, non-plussed. “It didn’t really work,” they shrug casually, “so we decided not to do it anymore.”
It not working could mean anything. In this case, it doesn’t mean it’s broken or does not function as expected. It has been thoroughly tested and documented, training delivered by yours truly.
It was just considered an extraneous task that could be quietly discarded, and none would be any the wiser. Well, not until an auditor comes knocking, anyway.
It is at this point that I decide to make it my priority to emphasise our statutory obligations to the whole team. To some, it’s as if this is the first time I have ever spoken of it. It’s not, but we can all play this game of pretend.
People pretend not to know things to get out of doing their work. I pretend I’m an idiot, so they don’t feel so bad when I provide the same advice and training over and over, until it finally sinks in and becomes something we just do.
Work, it seems, is all about playing pretend. Dressing up, pretending we’re professionals, when really we’re just making it up as we go along.
Last modified: 22 September 2024
